Cuban athletes leave games early

Cuban athletes leave games early
By Gary Duffy
BBC News, Brazil

Cuban athletes have made a hurried departure from the Pan-American games in
Brazil, apparently amid fears of possible mass defections.
The delegation was rushed at short notice to Rio de Janeiro's airport,
leaving the men's volleyball team no time to collect their bronze medals.
The athletes were said to have been ordered to leave the games before the
finishing ceremony on Sunday.
It follows the defection of four Cuban athletes earlier in the tournament.
The Pan-American Games, which take place every four years, are one of the
biggest sporting events in the Americas, and Cuba has once again been among
the main contenders.
As the competition draws to a close in Rio de Janeiro, the country is in
second place behind the United States in the league table of medals.

Lost luggage
Among Cuba's latest achievements was a bronze medal in the men's volleyball
competition, but its athletes were conspicuously absent from the awards
ceremony on Saturday.

"Betrayal for money is one of the favourite weapons of the United States to
destroy Cuba's resistance"
President Fidel Castro

Instead, the team could be seen making an almost frantic departure at Rio's
international airport, after apparently being ordered to return home at
short notice.
It is not clear why there has been such a rapid departure in advance of the
final ceremony, but four Cuban athletes have already defected during the
competition.
Such was the speed of the departure that some athletes were said to have had
difficulty finding their luggage.
Cuba's President, Fidel Castro, has already made clear his irritation over
earlier defections, accusing athletes of betraying their country for money.
"Betrayal for money is one of the favourite weapons of the United States to
destroy Cuba's resistance," he said.
At the 1999 Pan-American Games in Canada up to 13 athletes defected, and it
seems Cuba was keen to avoid something on the same scale happening in Rio.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/americas/6920955.stm

Published: 2007/07/29 05:23:45 GMT