The reunion between two glories of Cuban sport, the judokate Driulis González and the Volleyballleur Ihosvany Hernández, took place Wednesday in Miami, far from the earth where they reached their greatest glories but also where they found a new life.
It was the own Hernández who shared on Facebook The image of this moment, taken in a Chevrolet dealer where he works as a seller, accompanied by a message full of affection and nostalgia.
“The years pass, but respect, admiration and friendship never get lost. Judo and volleyball once again gathered at El Mejor Dealer del Mundo in sales of Chevrolet. The big ones with the big ones! Driulis González, you are very liked and that God continues to give you health so that this smile that contains all those who know you.
In the publication, dozens of followers congratulated the two athletes and recalled their sports exploits.
González, for his part, simply replied: “Blessings, champion, thank you for your attention. May God keep you, greetings.”
Entrecreois stories and a common end
Ihosvany Hernández, a giant of 2.06 meters, was one of the great pillars of Cuban volleyball in the 90s.
Three times Olympic – Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000 – he accumulated medals during the World Cups, World Championships, Leagues and Panamérican Games.
However, in 2001, he took one of the most difficult decisions of his life: to desert the national team with five other teammates during a tournament in Belgium.
He played as a professional in Italy, Turkey, Argentina, Poland and Romania until his retirement in 2013. But his flight cost him dear: 13 years without being able to enter Cuba, ten without seeing two of his children and seven without finding his parents. Despite this, he defines his decision to leave as “the best in my life”.
Today, he thrives as a seller in a Chevrolet dealership in Miami, helping other families to realize dreams which, on the island, seem inaccessible.
For his part, Driulis González -Donsidére like the best Cuban judokate of all time – also found in Miami a new start.
After having shone during five editions of the Olympic Games, with a gold medal, one silver and two bronze, and having won three world titles in different categories, the Guantanamera is now committed to training children and adolescents, transmitting an experience that the Cuban government can no longer draw.
The contrast to the Cuba they left behind them
The two champions symbolize the contrast between the glory reached in the name of the Cuban flag and the subsequent oblivion of the State itself. While official propaganda exhibits their medals as system trophies, neither Hernández nor González found in the country space to flourish or the stability necessary for their future.
The rally in Miami, celebrated with warmth and admiration, is also a reminder of the way in which the Cuban government has wasted the talent of elite sportsmen, forced to emigrate or desert to seek a worthy future for them and their families.
While Cuba remains immersed in the crisis, without resources or clear perspectives for his sport, figures like Ihosvany and Driulis build, in complete freedom, a life far from communist control.
And his embrace in Miami is not only that of two old friends: it is also the symbol of a diaspora that the regime could never silence.
Frequent questions about the gathering of Cuban champions in Miami
Who are the Cuban champions who found themselves in Miami?
The Cuban champions who found themselves in Miami are Driulis González and Ihosvany Hernández. Driulis is considered the best Cuban judoka of all time, while Ihosvany was an eminent Cuban volleyball player in the 90s. Both found a new life in Miami after their successful sports careers in Cuba.
Why did Ihosvany Hernández decided to defect the national volleyball team in Cuba?
Ihosvany Hernández decided to defect the national volleyball team in Cuba in 2001 during a tournament in Belgium, with five other teammates, looking for better professional and personal opportunities. This decision cost him 13 years without being able to return to Cuba and separation from his family, but he considers that it was the best decision of his life, because he now lives in Miami and found stability by working as a car seller.
How was Driulis González’s life after his emigration to Miami?
Driulis González found a new start in Miami, dedicating himself to training children and teenagers in judo. Despite her sporting success in Cuba, where she won medals at five Olympic games and three world titles, Driulis now transmits her experience to new generations in an environment offering more freedom and opportunities than that she had in her country of origin.
What does the reunion symbolize between Ihosvany Hernández and Driulis González in Miami?
The reunion of Ihosvany Hernández and Driulis González in Miami symbolize the contrast between the sporting glory affected in Cuba and the oblivion which followed on the part of the Cuban state. This represents how the talent of many Cuban sportsmen has been wasted by the regime, forcing them to emigrate or desert to look for a better future. This meeting is also a symbol of the Cuban diaspora which found abroad the freedom and recognition that the communist system refused them.
