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The Cuban wrestler Yasmani Acosta received the National Sports Award 2024 in Chile last Thursday, a gesture he reciprocated by donating his Olympic medal to the Chilean state.
Acosta, Olympic runner-up in Paris 2024, received the award from President Gabriel Boric in a ceremony at the Palacio de la Moneda.
"Today I received the National Sports Award. I am very happy and grateful for this recognition, but the most important thing for me was leaving my Olympic medal at La Moneda, the house of all Chileans. I was overwhelmed with emotion, I cried, and I remembered every sacrifice, every setback, and every dream that once seemed impossible," said the Cuban.
"Thank you to all my coaches and mentors from my childhood until today. Thank you to my family, my friends, and every person who, in one way or another, has always supported me. This medal is no longer just mine. I want it to serve as a symbol of inspiration, as a message that it is indeed possible, for this generation and future ones," he continued.
"Thank you, Chile. It’s no longer just mine. It belongs to Chile," added Acosta, who made headlines in 2024 for the Olympic final against his compatriot and friend Mijaín López.
President Boric, for his part, informed the Cuban nationalized citizen that "it is a source of pride for us that you are Chilean."
Last May, the award for Acosta was announced, recognizing him "not only for his Silver medal at Paris 2024, but also for his history and career in national sports."
The Cuban migrant, who escaped from a Cuban delegation in Chile in 2015, said he felt “deeply grateful” for the award and experiencing “one of the most exciting and significant moments of my life.”
"I know I wasn't born in Chile, but here I found a home, a family, and a flag that I have defended with pride. I have read some negative comments… and although they are few, they hurt, because they try to erase with words what has been built with years of sacrifice, effort, and discipline," wrote the Cuban in a Facebook post in May.
Acosta starred in one of the most iconic moments of the recent Olympic Games, after competing in a historic final in the 130 kilograms Greco-Roman style at Paris 2024 against his compatriot and idol Mijaín López, who ultimately became a five-time Olympic champion.
The National Sports Award includes a cash prize of 245 monthly tax units (UTM), amounting to approximately 16,818,760 Chilean pesos (about 18 thousand dollars).
After the Olympic silver medal, the Chilean government awarded Acosta a prize of 600 UTM, equivalent to more than 39 million Chilean pesos, approximately 43,000 dollars.
Yasmani Acosta (Matanzas, 1987), runner-up in Greco-Roman wrestling at the Paris Olympics, made the decision in 2015 to escape from the Cuban delegation with which he attended the Pan American Games in Chile.
The Cuban received support from Chilean fighter Andrés Ayub, with whom he maintains a good friendship to this day.
Acosta's success not only celebrates a personal victory but also highlights the differences in state support for athletes between Chile and Cuba, emphasizing the importance of recognition and fair rewards for effort and dedication in high-performance sports.
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