Havana.- The International Union of Modern Pentathlon (UIPM) granted official certification to 16 Cuban referees after successfully completing the technical training program held during events on the island.
"This represents an important recognition of the professional level of our judges and contributes to strengthening our sport in national and international competitions, as well as its development in the country," said Frank Alberto Martínez, president of the Cuban Federation (FCPM).
He said this achievement is the result of the effort, preparation, and commitment to the technical development of our refereeing in pentathlon, which consists of the events of fencing, swimming, obstacles, and the combined shooting-running.
Martínez explained that this process began during the celebration of the First Pan American Open of Varadero 2024, when the presence of an international judge from the UIPM became a reality, who evaluated the 25 candidates interested in embarking on the path to certification.
"On that occasion, all received their UIPM licenses after oral and practical exams from January through August, and in 2025 we managed to have them validated online, at no cost, and 16 passed the test, which we were notified of this year," said the national commissioner.
Of the 16 referees, four are women and five are under 30 years old, including the two leading Cuban pentathletes, Diana Leyva and Juan Pablo Velázquez.
"This certification must be renewed at the beginning of 2027, in accordance with the performance, interest, and regularity criteria established by the UIPM," Frank Alberto asserted.
He specified that "these certificates do not automatically make them active international referees, but they authenticate them in the UIPM judge system and enable them to aspire to officiate in competitions recognized by this sports entity."
This legitimization is organized by levels: level one, to perform various functions at national competitions (assistant referee), and the other two in international events with greater responsibilities, especially those who achieve level three international judge status, as they will be qualified to fully oversee and supervise contests of that rank, or assume the technical direction in any of the pentathlon's five disciplines.
"Cuba has only one international referee with that highest rank, the distinguished Alejandro Guarch. Now this group will have the possibility to advance through the different levels, even for the UIPM to recognize their individual ability and directly award them the top category," Martínez explained.
He described this accomplishment as a fundamental step towards being formally nominated and appearing on the official list of UIPM international referees, which will open the doors to officiating at higher-profile competitions.
"We are delighted to have referees prepared for various official UIPM events, hence the importance of keeping them active in their training to achieve some level three certifications. We have to work hard for this, but I believe we have taken a great step," he affirmed.
