Taymara Oropesa. Photo: Endrys Correa/Granma.
This week Cuban badminton made history by winning its first medal in the Pan American Games. The protagonist of that bronze was a young, self-sacrificing woman, to whom life has shown that her path is high-performance sport.
At 27 years old, Taymara Oropesa It has already marked a before and after in the development of badminton in Cuba. Today, we know a little more about her and her sports career.
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“Before badminton, I played tennis. But I left it, because the sun was hurting me. Then, my mother told me that badminton was also with a racket and indoors.
“I didn’t want to try it at first, but as soon as I picked up a racket and hit the shuttlecock, I really liked that feeling. It is an agile sport. Generally, it has very fast actions. In addition, it can be played by teams and individually.”
What did your result in Santiago 2023 represent?
−This bronze medal is thanks to my coaches, the technical team, but also to my effort. The entire time I was away from the national team I stayed focused on returning. I am very grateful for the people who helped me through that difficult stage. Of course, this triumph is also for my family and my best friend, who always kept an eye on me.
And the event, what did you think?
−The facilities in Santiago de Chile are very good, they all have the required conditions. The event was very nice and organized.
Now what do you have in mind?
−Continue competing to get more points for the ranking and thus qualify for Paris 2024. That is one of my dreams, like that of any athlete.
In her free time, Taymara loves being with her family, listening to music, and watching movies. Although she cannot imagine her life without badminton, if she had not practiced it, she would have loved to be a singer or a painter.
“I like music, but God did not give me the gift of singing. Furthermore, I love drawing and I am good at it. I keep the arts in mind every time I play. “It is a combination of sport and culture.”
Taymara dances with a racket in hand whenever she represents Cuba in an international competition.
The badminton player has already made history. Photo: Endrys Correa/Granma.
What does your coach say?
“In three words, Taymara is perseverance, responsibility and discipline. After almost four years away from high performance, she did not let herself be defeated and she did not stop either. She always thought that at some point she would come back.
“That made her stronger and in just eight months she won silver in the Central American and Ibero-American Championships. Now, she won bronze at the Pan American Games.
“He is a paradigm for the guys on the national team. In training she is very demanding of herself. We always go beyond what is planned, without violating the training loads.
“She is the first to arrive and the last to leave. “She never complains and works at the same pace as the men.”(Orlando Arturo Cala Martínez, coach and national badminton commissioner).
Most outstanding results of Taymara Oropesa
Gold in women’s doubles and silver in women’s singles, mixed doubles and team at the 2018 Barranquilla Central American Games.
Silver in women’s singles at the 2023 San Salvador Central American Games.
Bronze in women’s singles at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile.
Gold in the 2017 Suriname International and the 2018 Mexico International.
Taymara dreams of Paris 2024. Photo: Endrys Correa/Granma.
Taymara Oropesa made history in Santiago 2023. Photo: Endrys Correa/Granma.
On video
2023-10-28 15:12:23
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