Recently, three Cuban handball players decided to leave the national team's training camp in France, where they were preparing for the 2025 Handball World Championship, scheduled to take place in Croatia from January 14 to February 2.
The young individuals, identified as Diosel Rondón (21 years old, Granma), Daril Lois González (22 years old, Havana), and Jorge Félix Prent (23 years old, Matanzas), made this decision in search of better opportunities abroad, as reported by sports journalist Francys Romero on his Facebook profile.
The players were part of the Cuban delegation that began their training in French territory on November 8.
According to Romero, the three athletes took advantage of the friendly tour against second-division teams in French handball to seek a change in direction in their lives.
"Now these three young men will continue their careers outside of Cuba and will try to establish themselves at the professional level of handball after resolving their immigration status," concluded Romero.
In the comments section of the post, some remarks suggested that the escaped players were among the few on the team who did not have contracts with professional clubs outside of Cuba, a situation that may have influenced their decision.
A recurring phenomenon
The most recent escape occurs within the context of a growing exodus of Cuban athletes, who are seeking economic and professional stability amid the serious economic crisis affecting the island.
The departure of Rondón, González, and Prent adds to a long list of defections among Cuban sports delegations during overseas trips.
This year, the Cuban handball team had already experienced the loss of athletes in international tournaments.
In May, Omar Toledano, regarded as one of the best right wingers in the country, escaped from the team during the pre-World Cup event in Mexico.
A few months earlier, in December 2023, five players from the youth handball team also escaped while participating in the Pre-World Championship in Mexico.
So far, the Cuban authorities have not officially confirmed the escape of the three players.
However, the official sports media JIT reported on the team's stay in France, highlighting the importance of this training to raise the standards of national handball.
"Playing here, at a higher level, allows us to see the deficiencies and work on addressing them. Strengthening our assets is undoubtedly essential. The players appear receptive, and we believe that the team's performance indicators can be improved," declared the president of the Cuban federation, Franklin Guevara, before the news of the defection broke.
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