Interview with Cuban basketball player Milaida Enríquez

Life gives you the opportunity to meet different people, many of them good; others, not so much. In the case of my interviewee today, I can tell you that she is a charming girl, sincere to the fullest extent. He sings “las 40” to anyone and was a key figure in the national basketball team (f) in Cuba for 17 years:Milaida Enriquez.

Hahahaha… Thanks Julita, you always playing for the team, what am I going to tell you? I'll start with the current situation: I am working as a head teacher at the Eladio Cid sports team, better known as Atlético, located in La Víbora, October 10, in the capital.

I am a pure Havana native. I was born in this same municipality on October 10, in Lawton, 54 years ago.

How time flies Milo! We were so young when you dunked balls and I reported your exploits. How did you start in this hard struggle on the courts?

I was recruited by the man who would be my first coach, Ricardo González, now deceased. At that time, an exhaustive talent search was being done and when he came to my classroom he asked: “Who wants to play basketball?”, to which I responded by raising my hand. Thus began my odyssey for this sport that I enjoyed so much, with which I laughed, cried and gave myself until the last days of my career.

I started a little older because I was 12 years old and I had never held a basketball in my hands. Under Ricardo's command I took my first steps in the Rafael Conte sports team in my neighborhood of Lawton.

I was there for two years until a commission of coaches from the National ESPA led by Rigoberto Chávez and Roberto Santiesteban, both deceased, passed, who were recruiting tall players to form a preselection known as the Giant plan.

That was in 1984; After a year of being there, I joined the national youth team and in 1986 I joined the national team, first as a guest and then as part of the squad.

In 1987 I made my international debut at the World University Games, held in Zagreb, now Croatia, and for 17 years I remained part of CUBA.

On the team, who did you get along best with?

In general with all of them, although I related more to those who came with me from the youth team: Gertrudis Gómez, Lisset Castillo, Olga Lidia Vigil. I also had a good brotherhood with María Elena León “la Lupe”, among others.

You had the great opportunity to participate in three Olympic Games, something that has been forbidden to current girls because they never reach the classification.

Well yes, unfortunately that supreme objective of an athlete, participating in the Olympic Games, has not been possible for him.cuban basketball in the last four years.

I remember with great enthusiasm my attendance at Barcelona 92, Atlanta 96 and Sydney 2000. Unfortunately we were relegated because in the Catalan event we were fourth, in the American event, sixth and in the Australian event, ninth.

I was with you in those three events and I don't forget how they stole the bronze from us in that historic final against the United States in the '92 Games.

It's true! You were there. In Barcelona the refereeing was against us all the time. I still remember the five fouls against Yamilé Martínez long before the final whistle. They didn't let Peca move and so did many others like her. All in favor of the northern cast. The women's team had just won the bronze medal at the 1990 World Cup in Malaysia and was a favorite for the Olympic podium. That was a great truth

You also participated in three World Championships, two Pan American Games and two Central Caribbean Games, as well as in the very prestigious tournaments in the Americas that served to qualify for the Olympic Games and the World Championships.

That's right: 1994 World Cup in Australia, where we came sixth; Germany 1998, seventh and China 2002, ninth. The level of basketball on the planet continued to rise, more countries incorporated women into their basketball, the preparation and limits of the rest of the nations increased and... we were left behind!

And the most palpable example is fourth place in the recently held Central American and Caribbean Games in San Salvador as well as not obtaining continental or Olympic tickets in the latest versions.

Your experience is very rich. You must have hundreds of anecdotes like when coach Miguel del Río punished them in that cold lobby in Poland and I went down and saw them. The laughter went far, remember?

Hahaha. Yeah; against… and it was really cold! And you were also in the semifinal of Havana '91, when we beat the United States. Gallego was directed by Manuel Pérez and Yamilé Martínez is injured. I have to debut as a regular, what a great game I played! 14 points, I guarded center Katrina McClain and didn't let her do her job. From there I earned a place in the starting five. El Gallego told me: “you are mine.”

And what can you tell me about when you “directed” the game against the Hungarians at the 96 Atlanta Olympics?

Girl, I don't know what hit me and in the middle of the field I shout: “ZONA!” and the team was different. We launched ourselves against the Magyars and defeated them. We left very happy and in the locker room, very seriously, coach Miguel del Río called me and told me: “Hey, don't do it again; "Here I am the director."

And what did you do?

With all the respect in the world, laugh in his face. That had come out of my soul, from my experience, I knew that we were better off with a zone defense than one with melee pressure. Hahaha. Then we all laughed.

Milo, what about our “fight” in Beijing because you guys wanted to go “spoof” the Blue Ships and I wanted to go to the Chinese Wall?

Hey, that was awesome. You, with your Wall, who in the end won and we arrived when they were about to close. I was really impressed by its greatness. After all, we had to thank you for your efforts to improve our culture hahaha, what a show!

You were in the Pan American gold in Winnipeg and in the first places in the Centrocaribes in Ponce 93 and Maracaibo 97. What do you experience now that the current CUBA players cannot achieve the results of yesteryear?

Phew! Difficult. You have to do an analysis of why things happen. I already told you something before. For example, height. Look what a simple thing but one that influences modern basketball so much. Most tall Cuban girls choose volleyball not basketball.

My generation was of tall players, the tallest who have ever played for the national team. But, of course, it's not just the size. Other factors to consider are lack of adequate preparation to face all competitive events, not having the necessary food, the worsening of the conditions of the fields, their gradual deterioration. The required rest is essential, just to withstand the hard training loads. Medicine must have the resources that all athletes in the world have.

It is also necessary to prepare the technicians, to be able to do the international training, to encounter opponents, which is practically non-existent, there are many requirements! The basketball players lose interest, there is no motivation.

I give you my example. After having won 12 National Championships with the capital's squad, I did not receive the slightest recognition from the Sports Directorate in the province. I was retired in Ciego de Ávila as a result of the celebration of the Alba Games there; grateful for the people of Avila who applauded me, but my people, what? That's it, demotivation leads to failure, doesn't it?

Tell me something about the Americas Tournaments.

I took part in the pre-World Cup of the Americas qualifying for the World Championship of '94 and we came fourth; in the Pre-Olympic in Hamilton, Canada prior to Atlanta 96, we won bronze; In the one in Havana that gave us the ticket to Sydney 2000, we were crowned champions in a spectacular match against the Brazilians and in the one in Brazil, qualifying for the 2002 World Cup in China, we took second place.

Which one do you remember with greater emotion?

The one from Havana, of course. That Sports City packed, supporting us. Beating true basket stars like Hortencia Marcari, Janet dos Santos, Marta de Souza and Paula Goncalves was not done every day.

Do any of the girls in the current team impress you?

Of the current players who promise the most, although we must continue working with them so that they continue to surpass their level of play and maturity on the court, I see Isabela Jourdain, Naomis Vargas, Bexy Claro and Alianis Armenteros with perspectives, among other.

Is hiring abroad a good idea?

Of course. For me it is good that they play for a foreign club; That gives them a vision of how the world is playing in addition to the best conditions they have outside of here.

Speaking of technicians, which one have you felt better with?

With Gallego Pérez. He placed his trust in me and gathered all the patience in the world since you know that I was not easy hahaha; He made me grow and make me the woman I am today.

I know you don't have children.

God did not give me the possibility of procreating a family but I have 8 brothers and around 13 nephews; Without counting their children, what more family can I have? They drive me crazy… hahaha.

If you were called to direct or join the management team of the women's basketball team, would you accept?

Look, before giving you my answer, I'll tell you that before the terrible Covid pandemic, I spent two years with Márgaro Pedroso, current technical director of the team, directing the girls. It was something that motivated me because since Bárbara Bécquer no woman had joined the group of coaches. I want to show my gratitude to Márgaro and the girls.

However, now I answer your question, my answer is NO. I am not the same anymore, I even have health problems; The situation of basketball and sports in general is not the same as that of the country either.

I want, I need tranquility; live in peace. I can give an opinion, offer a consultation but that's it. Really, I can't. I wish the team the best and that they can resume the paths of success that my teammates and I experienced and the players who preceded us.

Much can be said about Milaida Enríquez, who retired from active sports in 2003 at the age of 35, after giving all her youth to the Cuban basketball team, playing the positions of forward and center, grabbing whatever rebound was within her reach.

Mettle, courage, being on top of the “hot” characterized Milo, a worthy professional admired by lovers of the basket sport in Cuba.