Waves Crash, Judoka Clash in Havana -- On the Scene

(ATR) Judoka from 66 countries spar in Cuba this weekend in the first sport event of the year with Olympic implications.

Victories at IJF Havana Grand Prix will count for points towards qualification for the Rio Olympics as well as a share of the $100,000 prize purse. A total of 386 judoka registered to compete.

The event is the second time that Havana has hosted the grand prix event which alternates each year between Miami and the Cuban capital. The venue is the Coliseum at the Ciudad Desportes, built in 1958.

A peculiarity of protocol at this event in Havana meant that the twojudoka competing for Kosovo did so under the flag of the InternationalJudo Federation, not the Kosovar flag. That's because Cuba does notrecognize the young nation. Next year when this Grand Prix takes placein Miami, athletes from Kosovo will compete as such because the US hasextended diplomatic recognition.

The grand prix comes at a time of heightened interest in Cuba as the U.S. seeks to bring an end to its 50-year economic embargo of the country. Already change is visible. Attending the opening day of competition was the U.S. ambassador for Cuba, a post that was empty in June 2014 for the last grand prix with little indication a major shift in U.S. policy to Cuba was about to occur.

Jeffrey de Laurentis spent two hours at the Friday session, sticking around for the last match of the day to cheer compatriot Marty Malloy to victory in the gold medal bout.

"I’m happy to be here representing the U.S. and seeing our athletes perform," said de Laurentis.

"Sports diplomacy is very important. People-to-people activity that we are trying to promote," he said.

Olympic and world champ Kayla Harrison from the U.S. is one of the stars of the judo family competing in Havana. She’s represented by famed sports agent Jerry Solomon who is in Havana. Solomon is keen to make the most of judo in the U.S. with Harrison and other judo greats competing in a multi-city tour post Olympics.

Brazil won three medals on opening day while Cuban athletes are expected to finish well, given the host country quota of 56 judoka. The large number obviously helps draw spectators to the arena with seats for about 5,000.

The judo tournament also marks another step back in the public eye for International Judo Federation president Marius Vizer. He’s been low-key since the controversy he ignited last April in a speech to the SportAccord Convention, which at the time he headed. In his opening remarks to the convention he delivered an unanticipated barrage of criticisms against the IOC over issues involving the federations represented by SportAccord.

A little more than a month later Vizer quit the SportAccord post to escape the fury, largely silent since then.

At a press conference Thursday in Havana, Vizer made passing reference to the Sochi maelstrom as he talked about judo and its value to the Olympics.

"The judo family is totally concentrated, working hard in synergy with the local organizing committee in Rio de Janeiro on the IOC. We will do our very best to deliver a successful event and prove the value of our sport to the international Olympic movement and the international sport environment," he said.

Joining Vizer on the dais was Olympic great Nadia Comeneci and Wimbledon doubles champ Ion Tiriac. The two Romanians are good friends of Vizer. Tiriac was in Havana for the 2014 edition of the grand prix along with his Wimbledon partner of 30 odd years ago, Ille Nastase.

For Comaneci, the visit was her first to Havana in 25 years. Still active in her sport, the 1976 gold medalist visited the Cuba Gymnastics Academy Friday. Later in the day she was presenting medals to some of the first winners in the judo grand prix.

Present for the opening of the judo were some legends in Cuban sport. Cuban Olympic Committee president José Ramon Fernandez, now 94, greeted a series of visitors in the VIP box. Among them Ronaldo Veitia, the larger than life judo coach for Cuba until retiring last year and Antonio Castro, son of Fidel Castro. Tony, as he is known, is a vice president of the World Baseball Softball Confederation, active in the push to return the bat and ball sports to the Olympic program.

But the sport was judo that he praised in a toast at a gala dinner later that night for the federation leadership.

"Judo teaches values. It teaches how to win but also how to lose and it gives the opportunity to athletes to share their experience," Castro said.

They were even more stars at the Gala, legends of track and field Ana Fidelia Quirot, two time 800m Olympic champion and Alberto Juantorena, 400m and 800m Olympic champion, now a vice president with the IAAF.

It was a big day for Cuban sport acknowledged Rafael Manso Reyes, president of the Cuban Judo Federation.

"I am a happy man, a very happy man for my country and for our sport. Judo is a leading sport in Cuba and having an event organized in our territory that gives points for the Olympic qualification means a lot. The Cuban people and the Cuban Judo family is very proud today," he said.

There is more international judo coming to Havana in three months. The Pan-American championships take place in April, the tournament that will confirm spots in the Rio 2016 Olympics for judoka from the Americas.

Written and reported in Havana by Ed Hula.

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