• Submitted by: admin
• Sports
• 11 / 16 / 2006

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If you walk out on the street on any given evening in Cuba you can hear the shuffling of dominoes and observe people of all ages playing.

So it is no surprise that once again the island is hosting the Third World Team Domino Championship through Friday in Havana.

Eduardo Petrena, the Spanish president of the International Domino Federation, spoke of the joy of the being once again be in a country with such a strong tradition for playing dominoes.

Twenty teams of three duos each from Venezuela, Mexico, Spain and Cuba are set to begin play as well as the last minute possibility of a combined international team made up of people from different nations.

The tournament takes place under the International Federation rules, by the Swiss system, using 28 dominoes. The winner of each match is the first duo reaching 300 points or whoever is ahead after the 55 minute time limit.

Petrena said the event also includes meetings to discuss ways to promote dominoes around the world including assistance to national federations. He said it also seeks to gain international recognition for the sport.

The official noted that the federation hopes to create the enthusiasm needed to greatly increase the number of participants for the next world competition to be held in 2007 in the Dominican Republic.

Petrena called the popular sport a virtual "machine to make friends."

Alongside the competition, a demonstration is scheduled of the western and central Cuban variety of the game using 55 dominoes.

Cuba was also the host of the first two events, in 2004, won by Cuba, and 2005, won by the current champs Venezuela.

Source: Granma