CAMAGÜEY.- After the postponement of the main sporting event on the planet as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the organizers of the Tokyo Olympic Games are fighting to reinvent it.

From the Japanese capital, news arrives every day about the planned sanitary protocols, the presence of the public in the stadiums or the prohibition of international tourism linked to the event; meanwhile, around the world thousands of athletes are looking for their ticket.

In a qualifying calendar that constantly varies depending on the capacity of the venues to secure the tournaments in the face of the new coronavirus, Cuban athletes are inserted thanks to a meticulous planning that seeks the largest number of places with economy of resources and health protection .

Until this week our country had classified 42 competitors in nine disciplines.

Cubadebate publishes that “the 14 classified in athletics stand out, the twelve in the fight in its three modalities and the five representatives of the sport shooting. Along with them, the others confirmed are divided into four for canoeing, two for artistic gymnastics and the modern pentathlon, and one for taekwondo, rowing and cycling ”.

With the pre-Olympic process in its final stretch, it is practically impossible to emulate the 120 participants that we presented in Rio 2016 in 18 sports, although we could equal or exceed the trophy of medals won in the beautiful Brazilian city.

To date, only four people from Camagüey have secured their presence in Japan: the long jumper Juan Miguel Echevarría, the runner Rose Mary Almanza, the tripler Davisleidys Velazco and the canoeist Mahivianet Borges.

However, they have the option of looking for passage around a dozen Camagüey's athletes, depending on the fate of the national baseball team in its two opportunities.

Among the most likely boxers are the boxers Julio César La Cruz, Yoenlis Hernández and Dainier Peró, who have secured their positions in the squad that will travel to Buenos Aires in May in search of Olympic credits in all divisions.

They could also join the ranks of Tamers Kevin Brown and Damian Arce, but so far they have not had the confidence of the head coach.

The Antillean field and track still seeks to include a second group of athletes, among them sprinter Roberto Skyers, who needs to get close to his best times to achieve the mark that World Athletics demands.

Esmeralda discus thrower Silinda Morales enters Commissioner Yipsi Moreno's plans, but she would have to raise her personal record to reach the nation of the rising sun.

Another who has to show his best level to achieve this goal is the diver Jeinkler Aguirre, forced to be among the top 18 places in the upcoming World Cup.

The players are in a different case, because although some Bulls achieve the classification in the pre-Olympic of the Americas, this would not ensure their names in the roster that is made official under the five rings; however, we expect pitchers Frank Madan and Yosimar Cousín, and position players Alexander Ayala and Yordanis Samón to make the grade.

Thus, Camagüey would be close to matching the nine children it sent to Rio de Janeiro. On that occasion they represented the land of El Mayor Raúl Hernández rowing; the fighters Joahnys Argilagos, Yasnier Toledo, Leinier Peró and the golden La Cruz; in athletics, Skyers, Almanza, hurdler Yordan O'Farrill and runner José Luis Gaspar participated.

This year, ours could be the protagonists again from July 23, when the cauldron is lit in Tokyo.