Cuba ended 2007 with 75 places in the 2008 Olympic Games thanks
to 12 places earned by the island's volleyball team, local media
said on Thursday.
Last week's win means that Cuba has now earned places in 13
sports. The full list published by the nation's Sports, Physical
Education and Recreation Agency is as follows: Baseball, 24 places;
rowing, 9; weightlifting, 6; wrestling, 5; judo, 5; diving, 3;
taekwondo, 3; shooting, 3; canoeing, 2; and one for cycling.
Cuba seeks to take part in 20 of the 28 sports in the Games and
the competition for places will begin from the first days of 2008.
More than 30 Cubans have the times needed for athletics qualifying
competitions and there are still competitions open away from
athletics in boxing, women's basketball, soccer, men's volleyball,
table tennis, cycling, diving, wrestling and judo.
Cuba has earned 65 Olympic gold medals in its history and more
than 100 each in silver and gold. It was 11th in the world wide
medals table in 2004's Athens Olympic Games, with nine gold, seven
silver and 11 bronze.
(Xinhua News Agency December 28, 2007)