Cuban men hope to build on 2005 World League bronze
05/17/2006
Tokyo, May 17, 2006 : With a third-place finish in the 2005 World League still fresh in the mind, a confident Cuban men's team will begin World Championships year with a month-long training camp in Russia.
They will leave Havana on May 29, and are considering taking part in an international tournament in Poland during this period.
Cuba's World League Pool D campaign starts in Korea in mid-July, and in between home games against Egypt (July 21-22) and Bulgaria (July 31-August 1) they will also take part in the Central American and Caribbean Games in Cartagena, Colombia, from July 24-29.
With the fourth round of the World League in Cairo from August 4-6, this will result in Cuba playing 12 top-level games in a little over two weeks.
Head coach Roberto Garcia's squad is packed with young talent, though, and includes several members of the team that won the bronze medal at the FIVB Men's Under-21 World Championship in India last year. Among them are Osmany Juantorena, Roberlandy Simon, Michael Sanchez and Oriol Camejo -- the last three all well above 2 metres tall.
The base of the team is the same that won the World League bronze medal in 2005 behind champions Brazil and runners-up Serbia and Montenegro. Led by 29-year-old captain and middle blocker Pavel Pimienta, the list includes Raydel Poey, Juantorena, Yoandri Diaz, Yasser Portuondo and Odelvis Dominico.
Cuba, who finished a lowly equal 19th in the 2002 World Championships, have been drawn with reigning world champions Brazil, France, Greece, Australia and Germany in Pool B, based in Fukuoka.
