The Captain Orestes Acosta School for Sports Initiation (Eide) will welcome the 2024-2025 academic year with a renewed image, after having been one of the venues for the 60th National School Games, an event in which the province of Santiago de Cuba took second place.
It was an exceptional preparation, with logistical support from the Provincial Sports Directorate and the Government, which will have a positive impact on the school year, said Yoilén Stable, deputy sports director.
“Without a doubt, it will enable us to be in better conditions to face the upcoming School Games. We must thank all the organisations and institutions that did their part to ensure that Santiago maintained its second place and that our athletes, with the spirit of Moncada, participated in the 60th edition of the Games.
“We hope to continue bringing joy to the sports family of Santiago. I am grateful for all the efforts made by the workers at our centre. We continue to fight for sporting excellence, which is what we all aspire to,” added the director.
Regarding the last competition, he commented that most of the sports responded to the predictions that had been made, some even exceeded expectations and, in the end, there were very few setbacks with respect to the pre-competition evaluations.
“We can say that those scheduled in the second stage were the ones that gave the push, given that most of them were developed in that phase. We were happy with the case of table tennis, badminton, wrestling, athletics; also those in which we do not have much tradition, such as cycling and swimming, which contributed this year.”
Regarding the latter, he stressed that they finished in eighth and ninth place, respectively, improving on the previous year’s record. The two silver medals and three bronze medals won in swimming were achievements, however, he pointed out that work must continue to improve performance in baseball, weightlifting and rhythmic gymnastics.
“Our province was only two gold medals away from Villa Clara, but in the total we were superior. We must insist that water sports – especially swimming – award a large number of medals and we are still far from reaching that number that could catapult us to the top positions, unlike Havana and Villa Clara.
“Overall, there was a quantitative and qualitative leap compared to the 59th edition of the National School Games. There were several motivations for athletes and coaches, above all, the fact that the closing ceremony took place outside the capital for the first time in history.
He also highlighted the correct planning of training sessions and the importance of holding competitions in the territory. “Given the complex situation with transportation and the fuel issue, we set ourselves the task of organizing internal events and inviting athletes from other provinces who could help us with our preparation, and the result was achieved.
“Wrestling has been the driving force of the National School Games, and has provided the largest number of medals in recent years; in this year, 15 gold medals were won out of 24 possible. This is a solid result, especially because of the work carried out in the sports areas, it is not a matter of chance.
“This sport is popular in our province, as shown by the fact that national champions of pioneering events are entering Eide and this makes the work more comfortable, because techniques that the children already know are being perfected.”
Yoilén Stable highlighted that this time the women’s competition and the two styles in the men’s competition were dominated; having revitalized the Copa Raúl Cascarés in Memoriam in the center was important in the study of the opposites, in addition to the fact that matches were possible in Camagüey.
He explained that the goal is to provide comprehensive care to young athletes at the Eide Capitán Orestes Acosta. “We have to deliver them to society well prepared; as it is an internal center, children spend a lot of time away from their families, and coaches and teachers become another family member.
“There is a good sports talent pool in our province, especially in combat sports and others, such as athletics. Every year the promotions are on the rise and we believe that in the 2024-2025 academic year a good number of athletes who participated in the School Games will be called to join the national teams,” he assessed that the task in the youth squads would be made easier if the Higher Schools of Athletic Improvement were maintained, hence the country’s leadership is making efforts to resume them.
2024-08-30 23:11:13