| Laos, a predominantly Buddhist country, has been a | | | | Every year, Cuban delegations went to East Europe |
| new Socialist Republic since 1975. Laos, best known | | | | to compete in international tournaments and |
| as Lao People`s Democratic Republic, is a country of | | | | competitions, for example "Friendly Katowice" |
| ancient culture, history, traditions and beautiful historic | | | | (basketball/Poland), "Bratislava Cup" (volleyball |
| buildings. Its fertile fields and tropical forest cover an | | | | Czechoslovakia), "Tungsram Cup" (waterpolo |
| area bigger than Utah and Florida. But the sport has | | | | Hungary), "Chemistry Cup" (boxing/ GDR), "Pravda |
| not grown in popularity.Certainly, the olympic sport in | | | | Bratislava" (track and field/Czechoslovakia), "Olympic |
| Laos is a chaos. There are not stadiums, | | | | Day" (track and field/GDR), "Savaria Cup" (volleyball/ |
| sportswomen, pool swimming and sporting projects. | | | | Hungary). Furthermore,La Havana was host to several |
| In 1980 Thipsamay Chantaphone had finished lost in the | | | | olympic tournaments: Pan American Games (1991), |
| 20-kilometer at the Moscow Olympic Games. For the | | | | Central American and Caribbean Games (1982) |
| first time, Laos sent an olympic team to compete in | | | | Women`s Basketball Preolympic and the 26th World |
| the Summer Olympic Games. Different from Alberto | | | | Cup Baseball (1984). |
| Juantorena (track and field: 400 and 800 mts), Maria | | | | In the past, Cuba sent more than 50 coaches to study |
| Caridad Colon Ruenes (track and field:javelin thower) | | | | in the World Soviet. Alejandrina Herrera was |
| and Roberto Urrutia (weightlifting), Chantaphone did not | | | | graduated from Leipzing Sports School in 1968.Julio |
| go to the USSR, Bulgaria and East Germany.The story | | | | Becquer Pino was graduated from Vladimir Illich Lenin |
| is the same. Like all the others socialist countries in | | | | Superior Culture Physical Institute in Moscow.Jose |
| Asia and Africa, Laosian sport had not support from | | | | Yañez was sent to the Medicine Academy in |
| the USSR. | | | | Bulgaria.Like Loaquin Loo, Verania Piñera and |
| Between 1960 and 1991, there were more than 20 | | | | Juana Bravet Quesis, Jose Godoy Sanchez studied |
| socialists nations in the Third World: Afghanistan | | | | physical education at the Moscow Institute of |
| (1979-1989), Angola (1979-1991), Benin (1974-1991), | | | | Central.Certainly, Cuba was not Laos or perhaps |
| Cambodia (1975-1989), Congo (1969-1989), Ethiopia | | | | Tanzania. |
| (1974-1991), Ghana (1961-1966), Guinea (1960-1991), | | | | REFERENCES: |
| Guinea Bissau (1974-1991), Grenada (1979-1983), | | | | 1-Barros, Sigfredo. "Recibió Fidel a los Atletas de |
| Madagascar (1975-1991), Mali (1962-1991), Mozambique | | | | Pesas y Boxeo", Granma, La Habana,22 de octubre |
| (1977-1989), Mongolia (1950-1990), Somalia (1970-1977), | | | | de 1978 |
| South Yemen (1970-1990) and Zimbabwe (1980-1989). | | | | 2-Camacho,Rene-Molina,Gabriel. "Inauguro Fidel la |
| Different from Cuba, the sporting system was a | | | | Escuela de Iniciación Deportiva Capitanes Orestes |
| disaster in the Third World Socialist States, for | | | | Acosta, de la Provincia Oriental Santiago de Cuba", |
| example 17 countries did not win an olympic medal. | | | | Granma, La Habana, 18 de septiembre de 1977 |
| Angola made its debut at the 1980 Olympics Games in | | | | 3-Gamarra Zorrilla, José. Bolivia OlÃmpica, |
| the Soviet Union.Only North Korea qualified for FIFA | | | | Publicidad Papiro, La Paz, 1989 |
| World Cup. Meanwhile, Guinea sent 3 athletes to the | | | | 4-GarcÃa Albela, Pedro. "La Serenidad del |
| 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Between 1962 | | | | Vencedor", Cuba Internacional, La Habana, enero de |
| and 1990, Cuba depend on aid from the Soviet World. | | | | 1993 |
| Different from Laos, Tanzania, Seychelles, the USSR | | | | 5-GarcÃa, Anne-Marie. "Regla Torres y Eugenio |
| provided massive financial aid for human development | | | | George, los Mejores del Siglo", Granma Internacional, |
| and anti-poverty programs. Much of aid was used in | | | | La Habana, 17 de diciembre 2000 |
| the Cuban sport.Cuba received more money per | | | | 6-Guevara Onofre, Alejandro. "Dictadura y Deporte: El |
| capita to promote sport than Brazil ,Taiwan and South | | | | Régimen de Fidel Castro" en |
| Korea. | | | | 7--"Perfiles del Régimen de Fidel Castro" en |
| Moscow played a fundamental role in the Cuba`s rapid | | | | 8--"La Cuba de Fidel Castro: La TiranÃa "Ilustrada" |
| sporting development.Furthermore, the Kremlin and | | | | del Tercer Mundo" en |
| East Germany helped sporting program for children in | | | | 9-"Historia del Deporte en el Tercer Mundo" (I) en |
| several cities and regions in the Island.However , The | | | | 10-"La Olimpiada Barcelonesa", Diario El Comercio, |
| USSR had not a wave of favorable publicity for their | | | | Lima, 26 de julio de 1992 |
| aid to sport in Cuba. | | | | 11-Hernández, Miguel-Lahera, Rolando. "Habla el |
| Thanks to the generosity of the Soviet Union, the | | | | Bicampeón Alberto Juantorena", Granma, La |
| Cuban dictatorships was host to several sporting | | | | Habana, 18 de septiembre de 1977 |
| events as "Jose A. Huelga Tournament" (baseball), | | | | 12-Jiménez Almira, Marta. "En la inauguración |
| "Ramon Fonst Tournament" (fencing), "Villa Clara Cup" | | | | de la Escuela de Iniciación Deportiva Mártires |
| (swimming), "Martires de Barbados Cup"(fencing), | | | | de Barbados", Granma, 10 de octubre de 1977 |
| "Cerro Pelado Cup" (wrestling), "Raul Capablanca | | | | 13-Ortega, JoaquÃn. "Eloy MartÃnez Habla de |
| Tournament" (chess) "Barrientos Tournament" (track | | | | Fútbol", Juventud rebelde, La Habana, 29 de |
| and field), "Giraldo Cordova Cardin Tournament | | | | octubre de 1974 |
| (Boxing), "Moncada Cup" (gymnastics), "Jose Ramon | | | | 14-Park, Seh-jik. The Stories of Seoul Olympics,Chosun |
| Rodriguez Tournament" (judo), "Manuel Suarez | | | | Ilbo, Seoul, 1989 |
| Tournament (weighlifting) and "Cuba Cup" (diving).More | | | | 15-Quesada Campos, Eliseo. "Tres Extrañas en la |
| than 50 nations participated, including Mexico, | | | | Ruta de Claudia", La Nación, San José, 20 |
| Venezuela, Canada, Jamaica, Colombia, Germany | | | | de julio de 1996 |
| Democratic Republic, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, | | | | 16-Ruck, Rob. "La Flor y Nata del Atletismo |
| North Korea, Guyana, Spain and Nicaragua. For | | | | Hemisférico", Americas, Washington DC, |
| example between 1961 and 1971, the People`s Republic | | | | julio-agosto de 1987 |
| of Bulgaria sent 400 athletes to La Havana. | | | | 17-Salmerón, José Luis. |