Cuba’s women handball team won undefeated the North American and Caribbean Handball Tournament (Norca), which awarded a single ticket for the World Championship to be held in the Japanese city of Kumamoto fromNovember 30 to December 15, 2019.
The girls led by Jorge Coll arrived on Mexican soil without the favorite label; however, they were, day after day, leaving each of their rival teams on the way to ratify the growth of handball as one of the best collective sports in Cuba today.
In their competitive stint, the Antilleans, who won the bronze medal in the Central American and Caribbean Games in Barranquilla 2018, defeated Canada (30-17), Greenland (25-17) and the United States (27-21) to lead thegroup A in the eliminatory phase.. At semifinals, Cubans defeated the Dominicans 30 goals per 23. In the finals, it was Puerto Rico who lost the throne with a slate of 27 goals per 24.
"It is an achievement that showcases the work of our whole team and encourages us to continue improving in order to get in better shape for the Pan American Games in Lima and the World Championship itself," said Franklin Guevara, national commissioner of this sport discipline to sports publication JIT. "Players such as Lisandra Luzón, Shakira Robert and Eyatne Rizo played a leading role in the organization and synchronization of the team," the director added.
The North American and the Caribbean Handball Tournament was an excellent opportunity to train ahead of the Panamerican Games in Lima, scheduled to be held from July 26 to August 11. The women’s team becomes the second Cuban handball team to win a ticket to the World Championship this year. The U-24 men team won the Norca back in April, also securing a spot to the World Championship in this category.
