Cuban sports officials woke on Wednesday morning to discover that five members of the Cuban Under-23 national soccer team had abandoned their team in the middle of a pre-Olympic tournament in Tampa, Florida. By Wednesday night, two more team members had defected. This was quite a turn of events for the Cubans, which had a 1-1 draw against the United States on Tuesday night. Down seven men, Cuba now faces an even more challenging path in reaching the Olympic Games, the epitome of international cooperation.
A spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the players will likely be granted political protection under the United States’ “wet foot, dry foot” policy that allows Cubans who reach U.S. soil to obtain asylum. If the players do in fact defect from their country, Cuban sports officials will be looking at a familiar situation. In the early 1990s, large numbers of athletes began leaving Cuba because of the poor economic conditions and severe treatment by the secret police. In fact, from 2001-2007 fourteen members of the Cuban national volleyball team sought political asylum in Europe and Puerto Rico.
So of what relevance is the desertion of seven Cuban soccer players? To me this situation serves as an indicator of Cuba’s future. Despite Fidel Castro’s retirement and the murmurs that change is on its way, it’s difficult to believe that any real reform is going to happen when it appears that Cubans themselves don’t believe it. When a country’s athletes, usually some of the most famous and recognizable people, begin to “abandon ship”, it is certainly not a positive sign.
It is going to take the hard work and leadership of all Cubans to improve their economic and political situation. The opportunity for substantive change appears to be within range, but without the contribution of everyone, it is an opportunity lost. This is exemplified by the Cuban national soccer team. Here they are with an opportunity to qualify for the Olympic Games. On Tuesday they started off well, playing a great match against the U.S., only to lose seven of their players on Wednesday. Left with just ten eligible players (in an eleven man sport), the outlook for Cuba’s national team is pretty bleak. What will be the outcome for Cuba the country?
Published Date: March 17, 2008