Havana.– The Cuban Basketball Federation confirmed this Thursday the relocation of its headquarters for the second Qualifying Window for the FIBA Basketball World Cup Qatar 2027.
Thus, the games that were to be played on February 27 against Panama and on March 2 against Uruguay, at the Coliseo de la Ciudad Deportiva in this capital, will take place on the same dates but at the Roberto Durán Arena in Panama City.
The decision responds to administrative issues, according to the president of the organization, Dalia Henry, who spoke to JIT.
"The current conditions the country is experiencing, due to the intensification of the United States blockade against Cuba, make it difficult to organize this event with the quality it demands, so we find ourselves forced to take this measure," she explained.
"We must thank the international federation (FIBA) not only for their understanding but also for all the assistance provided so that we could relocate and hold the games in Panama," Henry pointed out.
She valued the cooperation of Panamanian sports authorities in hosting this event and that of their Uruguayan counterparts in accepting the relocation without objections.
The commissioner of this discipline also stated that it is not the first time that the aggressive and illegal policy of the United States has affected Cuban basketball. She recalled the visa denials for travel to Puerto Rico, which have prevented Cuban athletes from participating on equal terms with their rivals; to the extent that Cuba has had to move from the Caribbean qualifying group to the South American group.
