The volleyball player Yoandy Leal, one of the talented athletes born in Cuba who will participate in these Olympic Games, will compete under the flag of Brazil, a country he considers his home "in his heart."
Leal will try to surpass the fourth place achieved with the Brazil team in Tokyo 2020, although he has in his record a World Championship won in 2019 representing the green and yellow nation.
"We are in search of our best objective," he recently expressed on Instagram, referring to the participation of the Brazilian men's volleyball team in Paris 2024, while wearing the jersey that identifies him with his new country of residence.
"I am Brazilian at heart. Brazil was the country I chose and I do not regret it," said the Cuban, who became a Brazilian citizen in 2015, in a message he posted that year on social media celebrating the title won by Brazil in Japan.
In 2017, the Brazilian Volleyball Confederation requested authorization to summon him, a request that was granted by the International Federation, although it clarified that the Cuban, having already played for his country's national team, could only reinforce the Brazilian team after completing a two-year waiting period.
Leal made his debut with the Cuban national team in 2007, when he competed in the Under-21 World Cup, and he said goodbye to the national team in 2010, when he won the silver medal at the World Championship after losing in the final, specifically against Brazil.
The 2.02-meter tall volleyball player, who plays the position of outside hitter, was born on August 31, 1988, in Havana. He also plays as an attacker for the Italian club Gas Sales Piacenza.
In the past, he also wore the uniform of the Cucine Lube Civitanova team from Italy, where he shared with fellow Cuban Osmany Juantorena.
Leal is one of the 21 Cuban athletes who will represent other delegations at the Paris 2024 Olympics, a number that reflects the unstoppable exodus of athletes in recent years.
Although Cuba did not manage to qualify its men's volleyball team, two Cuban athletes in that specialty will participate in the Olympic Games. In addition to Yoandy Leal, Wilfredo León, considered one of the best volleyball players in the world, will compete representing Poland.
What do you think?
COMMENTFiled under: