• Submitted by: admin
• Sports
• 09 / 13 / 2007

At 59, standing straight and tall, Morales moves through life in Cuba today, as smoothly as he once negotiated the 110 metres high hurdles and zipped his sprint relay second leg specialty while winning Olympic and other international and regional medals for his beloved country during his prime athletic years.

'Sports' has always been the big item in Fidel Castro's Cuba. In fact, this Caribbean nation, which is touched by the Atlantic Ocean, the Florida Straits, the Gulf of Mexico, the Yucatan Channel and the Windward Passage has benefited immensely by treating sports as its greatest commodity.

The island is one of the Caribbean's jewels, similar to The Bahamas in many ways, particularly with its many intriguing bights and beautiful beaches and another very important factor. Like The Commonwealth of The Bahamas, Cuba has no plants or animals that ought to be feared. There are no poisonous snakes in Cuba.

From this wonderful backdrop, Morales, names like Rafael Fortun, Enrique Figuerola, Pablo Montes, Hermes Ramirez, Tefilio Stevenson, Felix Savon, Silvia Chivas, Ana Fedelia, Javier Satomayor, Alejandro Cassanas, Silvio Leonard, Orlando Hernandez, Osleidys Menendez, Victor Moya and many others have flourished.

Morales, from his very comfortable residence in Havana, holds court with visitors, friends and neighbours in his inimitable and delightful style. As he moves through the streets of Cuba, and interacts with social colleagues like Irene Ruiz Narvaez, Alfredo Pereira plus other business persons, he is continually greeted with reverence and respect, befitting that of one who has contributed so much towards the positive sports image of Cuba.

In observing Morales, it is easy to understand why this relatively small nation has been such a great pillar in the world's sports fraternity. The Revolutionary Government of Castro is devoted to its heroes. They live in very nice homes and are treated as stalwarts ought to be, not just during their careers but beyond their competitive days.

Despite all of the negative material tossed at Cuba by its detractors, the island nation thrives in sports, giving prime examples to the world, time and time again. For instance, just two years ago at the First World Baseball Championships, Cuba placed second, a great satisfaction being the overshadowing of the team from the United States.

The sports philosophy is steeped in all Cubans.

No wonder, a young Juan Morales after watching (via television), Figuerola win a silver medal at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, decided that he would emulate the great one.

Just four years later at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, Morales was the youngster on the Cuban sprint relay squad that won the silver medal. His idol Figuerola was the team's leader while Ramirez and Montes made up the historic foursome.

Morales was one of the world's top track performer in high hurdles and sprint relay between 1967 and 1973. In the hurdles, he won the gold medal at the first four Central American and Caribbean Championships

(1967, 1979, 1971, 1973). He was a Central American and Caribbean Games bronze medallist in1966; a Pan American Games bronze medallist in 1967; and a Pan American bronze medallist again in 1971.

He has been a soldier, serving a year in Angola (1975). He has also spent 10 years in Venezuela as a track specialist coach.

These days, his contributions though less high-profiled, are just as meaningful.

He told me a number of interesting stories. One of them was about four little children.

Morales one day saw the youngsters playing in the road. He stopped and talked to them a bit. Recognizing their personal plight, Morales provided some assistance. The parents have never forgotten him and regularly make contact for advice. Such is the case with so many others who have been touched by Juan Morales Hechevarria

His competitive days are over but the heroic spirit lives on!

Source: The Bahama Journal