The Cuban women’s judo coach Ronaldo Veitía Valdivié is already traveling to Cuba with his son, after two months hospitalized in Spain, according to the island’s sports authorities.
“As a result of efforts shared by #InderCuba y #EmbaCubaSpain The beloved professor Ronaldo Veitía and his companion are already traveling to the homeland. Medical attention has also been guaranteed, since his arrival in Havana,” the director of International Relations of INDER, Gisleidy Sosa, reported on Twitter on Monday.
The trip of the coach and his companion has been assumed by the Cuban sports institution, maintains the official Cubadebate platform, which adds in its report that the professor flies to the island in the “with the greatest facilities” for his delicate state of health.
They also reiterate that their medical care is guaranteed from their arrival at the international airport in Havana.
Ronaldo Veitía Quiñones, son of the coach, had already said in his profile Facebook that the Cuban Consulate in Spain had already confirmed that his father would return to Cuba at any time and that he was going to accompany him.
“It is his wish from day one: to return to his beloved land,” he stressed.
Veitía Quiñones on that occasion thanked the Cuban consul, INDER and all the people who gave her their support so that her father could see his dream come true.
“To the many who show their affection and gratitude towards my dad, I thank you from the bottom of my heart on behalf of the whole family. There are two things that have always been inalienable for my father: Judo and Cuba. Thank God will have the opportunity to return and feel how much he has given to his country with all his heartis being reciprocated with the love and admiration of the people,” he said.
Last Thursday, the Veitía’s son asked for help to transfer him to Cubaand explained that the INDER and the Cuban Consulate offered him two air tickets: one for his father, in a delicate state of health, and another for a companion.
Although he wanted to travel with his father, he could not do so because his Cuban passport had expired, and the authorities informed him that the renewal process would take up to two months.
For this reason, he requested help from the Cuban government or an international health organization to be able to process his passport urgently, or a safe-conduct that would allow him to accompany his father on his return to Cuba and immediately return to Spain, the country where he has lived for 17 years. .
“It is a shame that a person who has given innumerable glories to Cuban sports is suffering so much at the moment, and that after more than 2 months in the hospital he cannot be accompanied by someone who has been by his side during this time for a procedure bureaucratic, but what is really important now is his urgent transfer to Cuba,” demanded Veitía Quiñones.
In mid-September, Professor Veitía’s eldest sons, Ihosvany and Dieter, reported that his father would return to the Island during those days.
After six weeks hospitalized in Alicante, Spainthe glory of Cuban judo could not recover from a collapse suffered weeks ago.
The 74-year-old coach has been in Spain for about five months with his son, daughter-in-law and three grandchildren, in the Valencian province of Alicante.
Considered one of the best women’s judo coaches in the world, he worked for three decades as a coach for the Cuban team, which he led to a total of 24 Olympic medals: five gold, nine silver and 10 bronze.
In November 2021 His wife, Mercedes Rodríguez Caballero, died..
