Cuba Badminton: Road to LA 2028

The aspiration of Cuban badminton towards the Central American and Caribbean Games in Santo Domingo 2026 involves a clear objective: to qualify with a full team for the regional event. The process is advancing with solid foundations, although there are still key events before the official closing of the ranking, scheduled for next April 12.

𝐂𝐮𝐛𝐚 𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐢ó 𝐞𝐥 𝐚ñ𝐨 𝐮𝐛𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐚 𝐞𝐧 𝐞𝐥 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐮𝐠𝐚𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐥 𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥, 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐜𝐮𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐦á𝐬 𝐝𝐞 𝟐𝟓 𝐦𝐢𝐥 𝐩𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐬 𝐞𝐧 𝐜𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐨 𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐨𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐮𝐭𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐬 𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓, 𝐥𝐨 𝐪𝐮𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞 𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐚 𝐥𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐚 𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐱𝐨. However, the president of the Cuban federation, Orlando Cala, explained that the strategy aims to add more units in upcoming competitions, including valid points on the world circuit.

Although four players can participate in the team competition, the federation insisted that the ideal is to attend with six, which would allow greater rotation in a demanding tournament, where the champion is defined in just 48 hours and then the competitions by modalities begin.

In this scenario, Cuba aspires to fight for medals, especially in the team tournament, backed by the experience of its main figures. Taymara Oropesa, undisputed leader of the team, appears as one of the great cards, with real options to improve the silver medal won in San Salvador 2023.

The qualifying calendar includes high-level commitments. The Cubans will open the competitive year in the Thomas and Uber Cups, from February 12 to 15 in Guatemala, followed by the Giraldilla in Havana, from March 10 to 15, and the First International Series Tournament, from March 31 to April 5, a higher-ranking event that will award 2,500 points to the champions. The closing of the process will come with the Pan American Individual Championship, from April 4 to 8 in Aguascalientes, Mexico, key to defining final positions in the ranking.

Cala explained that in this last event only the country’s main figures will compete, betting on securing important points against direct rivals such as Venezuela. In addition to Oropesa, he highlighted the importance of Roberto Carlos Herrera, who faces a decisive cycle, and Juan Carlos Bencomo, called to consolidate himself and arrive in his best sporting form at the Central Caribbean event.

The greatest potential of the Cuban team is concentrated in the women’s sector, both in the women’s singles and doubles, where rotations are handled between Leyanis Contreras and Elis Cabrera. Mixed doubles also appears as a modality with real podium options in an area of competitive parity.

The qualifying process began precisely at the Giraldilla, an event that set a record of participation in the last decade with 21 countries and meant Oropesa’s competitive return, just three months after becoming a mother. Since then, the results have been consistent: titles, silver and bronze medals in tournaments held in Bolivia, the Dominican Republic and Venezuela, with repeated prominence of the main pairs and the women’s singles.

Currently, the team is preparing in Artemisa, while possible training bases abroad are being evaluated, a pending issue that the federation seeks to improve to strengthen competitive performance.

In this decisive stretch of the qualifying process, the key for Cuban badminton will be to ensure presence in the scheduled events, as reflected in the previous paragraphs. Beyond competing, these tournaments represent a direct opportunity to add valid points for the world ranking, fundamental for the rise and stability of Cuba within the ranking of the Central Caribbean area. Remaining among the top positions in the region is a determining factor to aspire to qualify with a full team and reach Santo Domingo 2026 with greater competitive options. Therefore, guaranteeing Cuban participation in each of the planned events becomes the most important element of this path, an essential step within the regional route that leads to the Central Caribbean event.

Source: JIT/ Lisset Ricardo