Related videos:
The world record of Javier Sotomayor, those 2.45 meters that no human being has been able to surpass since 1993, is one of the few sporting glories that still connect the Cuban people with their golden past. That’s why every word that the “Prince of Heights” utters outside the island carries weight. And this time, from India, his message resonated with both a warning and nostalgia: “Now I know what we need in Cuba.”
The statements were made during his visit to the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (JLN) in New Delhi, where the legendary Cuban jumper was impressed with the MONDO track and the modern facilities that, according to him, enable a country to progress in high performance.
The media NDTV Sports, ANI News, and IANS Live provided extensive coverage of his tour of the sports complex, which included interactions with Indian athletes, coaches, and young athletics hopefuls.
Sotomayor, 58 years old, praised the track by stating that it is “fantastic” and that its quality “allows for good results.” However, the most striking remark came after seeing the stadium, when he said that in Cuba they aspire to have facilities like that in the coming years, concluding with a phrase that reveals more than it seems: “Now we have an idea of what is required.”
For a figure who rarely publicly criticizes the internal situation of the country, the comment is a direct jab at the decaying reality of Cuban sports, characterized by a lack of resources, the neglect of facilities, a massive brain drain, and the state's inability to sustain structures that were once a source of national pride.
While India invests in modernizing its sports infrastructure, Cuba remains stagnant in unfulfilled promises and stadiums that deteriorate in plain sight.
The contrast is even more evident when young people like the Palestinian Mohammed Dwedar, who accompanied Sotomayor on his visit, state that competing in a stadium like the JLN is “a dream.” In Cuba, for many athletes, the dream is quite the opposite: to emigrate or to find a place where they can train under minimal conditions.
The emotional meeting between Sotomayor and the Indian Paralympian Sharad Kumar, who referred to him as "an icon" and admitted that he has been following him since the start of his career, reminded everyone of what the Cuban continues to represent to the world.
The legendary high jumper traveled to New Delhi as an international guest of the Ekamra 2025 Sports Literature Festival, where he participated as a panelist in several discussions alongside other figures from the global athletics community. In addition to the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Sotomayor visited the newly constructed SAI gymnasium and the high-performance programs that have driven the rise of athletics in the country.
Filed under: