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Cuban sports mourns the passing of Raydel Carales Manzano, affectionately known as "Titi," a former water polo player who spent his entire career in Cuba representing the province of Camagüey at the national high performance level.
The news was confirmed by his brother, the fellow polo player Giraldo Carales, through an emotive post on social media that sparked a wide wave of condolences in the Cuban sports community.
"Today I lost TITI. And I literally feel like a part of my soul has left with him," Giraldo wrote in the message that touched thousands of followers.
Raydel trained and competed in Cuban swimming pools from a young age, standing out for his discipline, effort, and competitive spirit in national tournaments. After his time as an active athlete, he remained involved in the sport as a coach for the Cuban elite water polo team.
He was also the cornerstone of his brother Giraldo's daily training during their years at the island's high-performance school. They grew up close, sharing every aspect of daily life and sports.
“We slept together. We woke up together. We brushed our teeth together, half asleep, to go train. We took the bus to the pool together. We warmed up together. We lifted weights together. We swam together. We practiced passes together. We took shots on goal together,” Giraldo recounted in his post.
The message also highlighted Raydel's role as a guide and protector since childhood: "You have been my guide since I was a child. Since you were the good one in the house, all my mischief ended up falling on you. The teachers would talk to you about me. And without realizing it, you started protecting me from a young age."
Giraldo also recalled the strength that defined his brother in the water: "Because nothing was ever given to you. You weren’t the most technical. You were guts, effort, and heart."
It also brought to mind an injustice that he never forgot: Raydel was excluded from the national youth team of Marcelo Salado despite being the top scorer in the school categories, an episode that deeply affected them both.
Giraldo, who emigrated to Spain to compete in European leagues, experienced the geographical separation from his brother as one of the greatest sacrifices of his life for many years. In December 2021, after more than two years away from Cuba, he had an emotional reunion with Raydel at the José Martí International Airport in Havana, a moment he shared on social media that moved thousands of people.
"Few brothers experience what we have lived. That's why, even though we didn't spend forty years together, I feel that we lived what other brothers would experience in seventy. Because we didn't just share moments; we shared our entire lives," Giraldo concluded in his poignant tribute.
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