Cuban National Team Skips Saturday's Judo Tournament

Miami, FL (AHN) - The Cuban team did not participate in the Saturday's event at the continuing Pan American Judo Championships in Miami fueling speculations of defection.

The Cuban national squad which amassed a tournament-high 15 medals in two days of competition was notably absent in the Saturday's morning Kata (form) championships suggesting a possible defection of the athletes. But speculations were later dispelled when members of the national squad were spotted in the stands in the afternoon.

USA Judo president Jose Rodriguez downplayed the rumors saying the team opted to rest and spend some time with their families while preparing for Sunday's event. He also noted that despite the teams absence in the Kata event, almost all of the 14-member of the Cuban national squad were already assured of a chance to qualify for the Beijing Games this summer.

"Sometimes a coach may choose to rest his players, give them time off,'' Rodriguez told the Associated Press.

The Cuban team like other high-profile squads has opted to maximize its chances of landing an Olympic berth by competing in important events like Sunday's Zone Qualifying round. The Cuban athletes, however, declined to comment on Saturday.

The Brazilian team went on to sweep the men's and women's gold in the team-event with host United States taking the silver in the women's class while the men's team settled for the bronze in Saturday's tournament.

Last week, a group of Cuban exiles in Miami staged a protest denouncing the presence and participation of athletes from the communist country at the tournament. The Cuban national squad arrived earlier this week at the James L. Knight Center in downtown Miami for the judo championships which started on Thursday.

The Pan American Judo Championships wraps up Sunday with the Zone Qualifying round.