Nationalized judo player in Spain Ayumi Leiva: "I was humiliated in Cuba"

The Cuban judoka Ayumi Leiva Sánchez, who has been living in Spain since she left the national team in August 2021, stated that she was humiliated in her home country.

Ayumi, 22 years old, lives in Valencia, where she is currently training with Sugoi Uriarte and Laura Gómez, prominent figures in Spanish judo.

"One day there [in Cuba] was very hard. You had to endure the mistreatment from the coaches all the time, you couldn't express your opinion, you couldn't ask questions, they humiliated you... I lasted a year, but I couldn't stand it," he recounted to the specialized portal AS.

"In my first junior competition, I was forced to sign a paper stating that I committed to winning a medal. If I didn't sign, I would be expelled from school," he detailed.

The young athlete received Spanish nationality in July 2023. Therefore, until this year, she had not been able to compete internationally. In these 10 months, she has already won four medals in the -52 kg category.

The first three were bronze: at the Grand Slam in Antalya (Turkey), at the Qazaqstan Barysy Grand Slam, and at the Madrid European Open. In September, she earned a silver at the Grand Prix in Zagreb, looking ahead to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

"In every fight, I felt that I gave my best and a little more. I am happy because we are already changing the color of the medal. I have never had the opportunity to try to qualify for the Games. I am certain that my coaches will guide me on the right path," she stated.

Ayumi fled Cuba during a trip to the Junior Pan American qualifier in Cali (Colombia). Since there was no direct flight from Havana, they had to connect in Madrid, where she took advantage of a moment of inattention, separated from the group, and requested political asylum from the passport control police, along with her colleague Nahomys Acosta.

"It was a very tough decision. I was going to leave my whole family behind, my mom, my brothers... not knowing when I would be able to return. I still haven't seen them since then. We try to talk every day. I miss them," he lamented.

Three years later, she dreams of moving forward while sharing an apartment with two roommates from the High Performance Center in Benimaclet. She wants to study something related to sports and is in the process of validating the high school studies she completed in Cuba.

Regarding sports, she asserts that she always tries to think positively. "I don't underestimate any opponent, but I always think I can win and I see myself on the podium."