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CAMAGÜEY.- Field hockey is a young discipline in the Central American and Caribbean Games program, and since its inception at the 1982 edition in Havana has had a clear dominance: Cuba. Between girls and boys, our selected have added eleven titles, Trinidad and Tobago supported them with only four. In the men's branch, the record is even more favorable for Cubans, who never fell from the top of the podium in these conflicts and only when the national delegation was absent in San Salvador 2002 and Mayagüez 2010, another could occupy it. .
The men's team that will start today its performance in Barranquilla 2018 has as one of its stars who is considered by many to be the best hockista of Camagueyan of all time: Darian Valero Camejo . This boy has been in the ranks of the four-letter team for 15 years and has won gold at Veracruz 2014 and several memorable performances at the Pan Am Games. From the beautiful Colombian city on the shores of the Atlantic, via the Internet, Valero spoke about his career and the peculiarities of this challenge with Adelante "I wanted to be a baseball player like my father and I've had good results in baseball at the beginning of the ages.As I come from Lenin, I've also played a lot of football and participated in provincial competitions, but in sixth grade, when I was started hockey thanks to my uncle and coach Leonardo Camejo, I knew it would be my job. "
Bronze in his four participations in school games with the Camagüey team and was about to give another direction to his life.
"The results did not come out and I saw how my teammates from other sports triumphed. These are moments of doubt in which my close relatives have taught me that perseverance is the most important thing in life. That's why I kept going. Then come successes in the youth category where I got two bronzes, two silver and one gold. "
Since 2002 he has been captured for national preselection, but it was only in 2005 that he was able to formally represent the mayor of the West Indies. He says that they were three years old very hard because he had the quality of being in the first team and no one explained to him why they had not chosen him
"When I donned the red uniform with the white letters, I felt that early, I had to work very hard and be 15 years of my family to represent my country.Many believe that it is a race easy and do not stop thinking about the sacrifice.I have not been home to help my grandmother or watch my daughter grow up, this time never recovers.That's why this is why bothering me when we are not recognized in the media or where we are born Hockey is at a disadvantage in the press, right now we are talking about other team sports and not of ourselves that we have not never failed. "
Paradoxically, among his most precious memories is a defeat
Toronto 2015 several athletes you decided to leave the team and we had to face a part of the tournament without any changes. The situation was so difficult that at one point we were only seven athletes (in field hockey, they were playing eleven), but we met and decided to leave the field to disadvantage Cuba. In the last game against Trinidad and Tobago, when the audience knew what was going on, they started cheering and singing the anthem with us, that day I cried out. helplessness, but also pride. "
his teammates and the technical team of the group have appointed him as a sub-captain, a responsibility which, according to him, will not increase in Colombia.
"Because of my temper, I have always encouraged other players.I like to play hard and be energetic on the field.As I am one of the most experienced, the boys always pay attention to me.The coaches have entrusted the mission to guide the defense center and to organize the offensive races.In Barranquilla, we have only one goal: We have completed a good preparation cycle in Mexico and the Dominican Republic.We are in good physical condition and have perfected our teamwork . The toughest opponents will be Mexico and Trinidad and Tobago, but we know them very well and they know that it will be difficult to reach our goal.We will bet for fast play, we will support from the start and we will go to the counterattack, in which we are very effective.The girls will also try to reach e the title, although they will have a more complicated tournament because of the quality of their opponents and the youth of the team. "
By decision of the organizers, the field hockey tournaments will not be included in the grid" Although in Cuba they can not see us play, people must know that there is a group of athletes who although we do not have the opportunities of other disciplines to participate in international events, we are also fighting to win always. Do not worry, we will give everything for the gold medal of hockey goes back to the table of the Cuban medal. "
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