Amidst power outages, an energy crisis, and widespread shortages, Cuban sports authorities have announced as a “serious goal” the construction of a beach volleyball stadium in Varadero, one of the country’s main tourist destinations.

The information was released by the official newspaper Girón and confirmed during the first stop of the Beach Volleyball Circuit of the North, Central America, and Caribbean Confederation (Norceca), which is taking place in Varadero.

The three-time Olympic champion Mireya Luis, currently the vice president of the Cuban Volleyball Federation and the general director of the event, stated that the project has the support of the local government, the Ministry of Tourism, and other entities connected to the sport.

“It is a serious goal. We have planned the project with all the necessary requirements,” stated the former player, referring to the intention to build a permanent facility to replace the current temporary structures used each year during the tournament.

The Barceló Solymar Arenas Blancas Hotel has been a regular venue for the event, but its temporary stands only allow for the attendance of a few dozen spectators.

According to Mireya Luis, a stadium with increased capacity would benefit not only the event itself but also the training of the athletes and the prestige of the regional competition.

Mireya Luis herself celebrated the current performance of the Cuban pairs, with one of them ranked among the top ten in the world.

However, she acknowledged that beach volleyball needs stable conditions to grow: “We never stop dreaming about the growth of the tournament,” expressed the former leader of the Morenas del Caribe, Olympic champions in Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996, and Sydney 2000.

According to the Norceca circuit schedule, Varadero will not only host the inaugural stop of 2025, but it will also be the venue for the final phase in October.

Although the event promotes Cuba internationally as a sports and tourist destination, the construction of a new stadium during times of scarcity opens a new front for debate regarding government priorities and the use of public resources.

The decision contrasts with the serious situation of the national electrical system, affected by recurrent failures in thermal power plants, lack of maintenance, and a shortfall of investments in critical infrastructure.

On social media, numerous users have questioned the initiative, claiming that government funds and attention should be directed towards resolving power outages, improving transportation, supplying hospitals, or ensuring food and medicine, instead of building a facility for an annual event.

Odalis Altamirano expressed, “What we need is a thermoelectric plant to provide service to the province of Matanzas, which does experience power outages. But of course, Varadero doesn’t feel it, only during the few moments of energy collapse. They keep wasting money and don’t think about the average Cuban who can’t even afford the luxury of going to Varadero.”

Greisy Rodríguez Delgado quipped: “Odalis Altamirano, with what they raise in that stadium, will invest in the SEN, you’ll see. That has yielded a lot of results; just look at how stocked the sales points and service centers are.”

The profound decline in housing construction in Cuba is an unmistakable sign of the economic and social collapse facing the country: in 2024, fewer houses were built than in the worst years of the Special Period, underscoring the sustained failure of the State to address one of the most basic needs of the population.

The data was revealed by Cuban economist Pedro Monreal in an analysis published on the social network X, based on the official report titled “Construction in Cuba. Selected Indicators. January-December 2024. May 2025 Edition,” issued by the National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI).

According to official figures, investments in business services, real estate activities, and rental services reached 24.907 billion Cuban pesos (CUP) in 2024, making it the primary destination for capital expenditure in the country.

This is in addition to 11,936.5 million CUP allocated to hotels and restaurants, bringing the total investment in activities closely related to tourism to over 36.8 billion pesos.

These figures intensify the debate about the persistent priority that the Cuban regime gives to tourism, despite the prolonged stagnation of the sector and the severe shortages that the population faces in fundamental areas such as public health and food production.

In this same regard, in 2024, official data on investment in Cuba during the first half of that year reignited the debate about the allocation of resources on the island, particularly the Cuban regime’s insistence on investing in the tourism sector at the expense of fundamental sectors such as health and social assistance.

According to the ONEI report, from January to June 2024, the regime allocated nearly 40% of its investments to activities related to tourism, whereas investment in Health and Social Assistance is 14 times lower, a fact that has been heavily criticized by economic experts, such as Cuban economist Pedro Monreal.

Frequently asked questions about the construction of the beach volleyball stadium in Varadero

WINTER PARK, Fla. — The tennis court is Laziza Talipova’s happy place. 

During her junior year at Trinity Prep, she won the American Tennis Association National Championship in the Girls’ 16 division. 

“I really enjoyed the tournament, I played a lot of good tennis, I played in a lot of close matches,” Talipova explains. “It just shows how hard work comes into play.”

Laziza was at the top of the rollercoaster, but it would quickly go down. 

After the tournament, she had right ankle surgery that would sideline her for a couple of months. 

“I just had to remember, I can do this, I’ve done it before,” Talipova said about the recovery process. “I can come back. I’ve seen other athletes come back from worse… My recovery was only a short couple of months and after that I never looked back.”

She returned to the court like she had never left. 

Talipova made history in her senior season. She was the first Trinity Prep female tennis player to make a state final since 1983. 

She also committed to play tennis at George Washington University, the same school where her brother, Laziz, plays basketball. 

“I love my brother so much, he’s such a huge inspiration for me playing tennis,” said Talipova, after watching a congratulation video her brother made for her. “He does support me with everything I do. Just him welcoming me to George Washginton. It’s going to be so much fun.”

Laziza hopes to one day become a pro tennis player.

She knows to get there it’s going to take hard work and great family support.

Mykolas Alekna remained undefeated on the year after recording a new meet and facility record in the discus.

T&F5/17/2025 8:20 PM | By: Cal Athletics

Cal Finishes Meet With 12 Conference Medals

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The California track & field team closed out a successful three days at the ACC Outdoor Championships on Saturday night, earning another four medals at Wake Forest’s Kentner Stadium to bring its weekend total to 12. The Golden Bears’ men finished third in the team standings with 79.83 points, just behind second-place North Carolina (82) and winner Duke (86). The Bears placed sixth in the women’s competition with 61 points, while Virginia claimed the team title with 93 points.
 

“I think we did really well, and I’m really proud of how the team performed and stepped up,” Director of Track & Field/Cross Country Robyne Johnson said. “It was top-to-bottom excellent effort from our athletes – we had so many PRs that it’s not even funny, but that’s exactly what we expect in a championship season and they answered the call. I’m super proud of all of them.”
 
Cal’s first event of the day was the men’s discus, where world record-holder and The Bowerman candidate Mykolas Alekna continued his dominant season with the third conference title of his career, out-throwing the rest of the field by over 10 feet on the way to a new facility and meet record of 69.86m (229-2). Two other Bears – Jared Freeman (53.19m/174-6) and Charlie Dang (52.85m/173-4) – placed fourth and fifth, respectively, to score points for the squad, while Nik Iwankiw threw a personal-best 50.69m (166-3). On the women’s side, Caisa-Marie Lindfors picked up her second medal of the meet, placing second with a throw of 58.81m (192-11), while Lucija Leko placed sixth at 50.98m (167-3) to pick up three points.
 
A pair of Bears also picked up medals on the track. Garrett MacQuiddy posted the second-fastest final 400m split in the men’s 1500m, outrunning rival Stanford’s Leo Young on the way to a second-place time of 3:45.25, while Johnny Goode obliterated alumnus Peter Howard’s 40-year-old school record in the 400m to place third in 45.02; that time was also a .7-second personal best, giving Goode his fourth program record of the year.
 
Cal fielded two scorers in the men’s high jump, where Riley Knott recorded a fourth-place season best of 2.09m/6-10.25 and Victor Ezike Jr. tied for seventh with a leap of 2.01m (6-7). Asjah Atkinson finished fourth in the women’s 100m hurdles with a time of 13.45, matching her placement at the ACC Indoor Championships, while Donovan Bradley also took fourth in the men’s 110m hurdles at 13.85 and Loreal Wilson improved her own program No. 5 time in the 400m hurdles to a sixth-place 58.51. The men’s 4x100m relay squad of Aidan Orias, Johnny Goode, Avinash Schwarzkopf and Javon Hampton Jr. rounded out the group of Cal scorers with an eighth-place finish of 40.54. Finally, Jade Neser posted a new personal best in the women’s high jump of 1.72m (5-7.75).
 
 
ACC OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS – MEN’S RESULTS (3rd Place, 79.83 points)
400m Final – 3. Johnny Goode 45.02 (PR, School Record)
1500m Final – 2. Garrett MacQuiddy 3:45.25
110m Hurdles Final – 4. Donovan Bradley 13.85
4x100m Relay – 8. California 40.54 (Aidan Orias, Johnny Goode, Avinash Schwarzkopf, Javon Hampton Jr.)
4x400m Relay – 9. California 3:11.01 (Johnny Goode, Aiden Lippert, Avinash Schwarzkopf, Donovan Bradley)
High Jump – 4. Riley Knott 2.09m/6-10.25; T7. Victor Ezike Jr. 2.01m/6-7; 13. Brandon Cheeks II 1.96m/6-5
Triple Jump – 9. Jeremiah Bolaños 15.25m/50-0.5; 14. Kosi Nwafor 14.66m/48-1.25
Discus – 1. Mykolas Alekna 69.86m/229-2 (Facility Record, Meet Record); 4. Jared Freeman 53.19m/174-6; 5. Charlie Dang 52.85m/173-4; 10. Nik Iwankiw 50.69m/166-3 (PR); 14. Nick Godbehere 48.00m/157-6
 
ACC OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS – WOMEN’S RESULTS (6th Place, 61 points)
5000m – 25. Georgia McCorkle 16:34.76
100m Hurdles Final – 4. Asjah Atkinson 13.45
400m Hurdles Final – 6. Loreal Wilson 58.51 (PR, 5th Cal History)
4x100m Relay – 12. California 45.83 (Masina Mayo, Saqqara Ruffin, Mari Testa, Asjah Atkinson)
High Jump – 10. Jade Neser 1.72m/5-7.75 (PR)
Triple Jump – – Leah Anderson NM; – Myla Canty NM
Discus – 2. Caisa-Marie Lindfors 58.81m/192-11; 6. Lucija Leko 50.98m/167-3
 
 
UP NEXT
Justin Pretre and Caden Carney will race Sunday at the Sunday Night Qualifier, hosted in Boone, North Carolina, in hopes of achieving regional qualifying times. The Bears will await the announcement of which athletes have qualified to the NCAA West Regionals, which will be contested from May 28-31 in College Station, Texas. A full list of participants will be released on Thursday, May 22.
 
STAY POSTED

For complete coverage of Cal track & field, follow the Bears on X/Twitter (@CalTFXC), Instagram (@caltfxc) and Facebook (@Cal Cross Country/Track and Field).
 

SAN DIEGO – San Diego State earned the No. 5 seed in the 2025 Credit Union 1 Mountain West Baseball Championship, set for May 21-24 in Mesa, Arizona. The announcement was made by the league office in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

The Aztecs (19-37, 14-16 MW) completed a sweep of Washington State at home this weekend to finish fifth in the Mountain West regular-season standings.

SDSU will open the MW Championship against No. 4 seed UNLV (31-22, 16-14 MW) on Wednesday, May 21, starting at 6:05 p.m. MST/PDT at Sloan Park, the spring training home of the Chicago Cubs.

The Aztecs and Rebels split their season series at three games apiece, with each side posting a sweep on their respective home diamonds.

The SDSU-UNLV clash will be preceded by the other first-round matchup pitting No. 3 seed New Mexico (30-22, 17-13 MW) and sixth-seeded San José State (26-28, 13-17 MW) at 1:05 pm.

If the Aztecs defeat the Rebels, they will face Nevada on Thursday, May 22, beginning at 1:05 p.m. The Wolf Pack (33-21, 19-11) received a first-round bye after claiming the regular-season title.

Meanwhile, second-seeded Fresno State (28-27, 18-12 MW) earned the other first-round bye and will await the winner of the Spartans-Lobos showdown on Thursday at 6:05 pm.

Following Wednesday’s first-round matchups, the 2025 Mountain West Championship enters into a double-elimination format for the remainder of the tournament.

The Aztecs have won the most Mountain West postseason championships, taking home six crowns since the league’s inception (2000, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018). In all, San Diego State has posted a 50-34 record in 22 MW tournament appearances.

Additionally, the Aztecs have three Mountain West regular-season titles to their credit (2000, 2004, 2023).

The Mountain West Network will broadcast every game of the 2025 MW Baseball Championship.

Fans can watch the MW baseball championship for free on their smartphones or connected TVs via the Mountain West app through Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV or Roku. Mobile applications are available through the iOS App Store and Google Play.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The UNT track and field teams completed competition at the 2025 American Athletic Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships on Saturday evening, highlighted by individual titles from Jake Parchman and London Culbreath.
 
Parchman won his second conference championship of the season after having come up short of the podium in each of his first three seasons. After winning the weight throw at the AAC Indoor Championships, Parchman claimed the program’s first ever gold medal in the men’s hammer throw. His winning throw came on his fifth attempt when he launched it 65.13 meters, marking his third-longest throw of the season and his career.
 
Culbreath broke through on Saturday to claim her first career conference title in the 1,500 meters. She posted the best time of her career in the finals, clocking a 4:24.60, which gave her a cushion of over three seconds to the runner-up from Tulane. Culbreath also placed in the 800 meters where she took seventh and finished fifth in the 5,000 meters, totaling a team-high 16 points for the meet across the three events.
 
In total, the Mean Green recorded all-conference honors in 10 events, including eight individual performances and the men’s 4×100 and men’s 4×400-meter relay. The men’s team collected 80 points to finish fifth in the team standings and ended up just three points shy of third place. The women’s team landed in eighth with 66 points.
 
“I’m proud of both the men and women for their resilience this entire weekend,” head coach Doug Marshall said. “We fought hard from start to finish and as a coach that is all you can ask for. We have some improvements to make moving into regionals for those that make it. We will attack recruiting hard this summer and build a complete team to fight for a championship next year. I want to give a special shout out to our amazing administration for all their support.”
 
The men’s team made a consistent push toward the top of the leaderboard throughout the meet, beginning with Parchman on Thursday. Akeel Hanchard also earned a spot on the podium, taking third in the men’s javelin for the second consecutive year. Hanchard and Vitus Hansgaard, who placed fourth, both posted personal bests to become the third and fourth best performers in school history in the event.
 
Derrick Warren added eight points to the men’s score with a runner-up finish in the long jump on Friday. The Sam Houston transfer became the first Mean Green male to earn outdoor all-conference honors in the long jump since Jarrod Stone in 2005.
 
After breaking his own school record in the 110-meter hurdles prelims on Friday with a 13.76, Hendrick Hundl claimed third place in the finals, clocking a 13.85. Chase Lehr also finished on the podium for the second time this season in the 800 meters, taking second with a time of 1:49.76. Finally, both men’s relay teams placed third on Saturday, with the 4×100-meter group clocking a season best 39.84 and the 4×400 team posting the second-fastest time in school history at 3:07.62.
 
On the women’s side, the throwers had an impressive meet with true freshmen Ava Roberts and Bolaji Subair earning all-conference honors. Roberts followed up an incredible indoor conference meet where she placed third in the shot put with an even better outdoor meet, taking second with a personal-best mark of 15.58 meters. Subair placed second in the discus with a school-record throw of 51.55 meters for her first all-conference finish. Mackenzie Kuehl was another female thrower to earn all-conference accolades for the first time, placing third in the javelin with a PR of 48.51 meters.
 
Other notable finishes for the women included the 4×100-meter team taking fourth with the fifth-fastest time in program history, and Aariyana Williams placing fifth in the 400 meters with a 53.16. The nationally ranked women’s 100 meters group combined for six points courtesy of C’Nai Childress and Trezeguet Taylor, who placed fourth and eighth in the finals.
 
In total, the North Texas saw 24 athletes record personal bests at the conference championships. The Mean Green will wait to see who advances to the NCAA West Preliminary Round in College Station May 28-31.
 

LAWRENCE, Kan. – On the final day of the Big 12 Outdoor Championships, Oklahoma State’s Fouad Messaoudi once again proved why he’s one of the greatest middle-distance runners in conference history. 

With a dominant performance in the 1,500 meters, Messaoudi became just the second man in Big 12 history to win three conference titles in the event, doing so in 2022, 2023 and now 2025. His winning time of 3:37.27 added 10 points for the Cowboys, who finished seventh overall with 50 team points. 

Alex Stitt followed close behind in fourth with a time of 3:38.89, contributing five more points in a deep field.  

In the 800 meters, Hafez Mahadi turned in a fifth-place finish with a time of 1:46.65, a personal best that also ranks second in OSU history. Denis Kipngetich delivered another impressive performance, slashing over 10 seconds off his previous outdoor best to finish third in the 5,000 meters with a time of 13:30.95, a mark that now sits eighth all-time in OSU history.  

The Cowboys also picked up five points in the 4×400 meter relay, as Jordon Smith, Will Bynum, Ty Cook and Mason Page combined for a fourth-place finish in 3:05.31. Caio Almeida also earned two more points for OSU with a seventh-place finish in the 400-meter hurdles. 

On the women’s side, freshman Isca Chelangat led the charge, placing second in the 5,000 meters with a time of 15:31.35, the second-fastest performance in school history. The Cowgirls tallied 52.5 total points to finish sixth in the team standings. 

Kaylie Politza added a sixth-place finish in the 800 meters with a personal-best 2:03.13, which now ranks seventh in OSU history. Madi Surber picked up a point in the 1,500 meters, finishing eighth in 4:17.32, while Kileigh Mixon cleared 1.74m in the high jump to add half a point. 

The Cowgirls closed the meet with a seventh-place finish in the 4×400 relay, as Ansley Scott, Annie Molenhouse, Politza and Jinah Mickens-Malik combined for a time of 3:37.93. 

The Cowboys and Cowgirls continue postseason action in two weeks as they travel to College Station, Texas, to compete in the NCAA West Prelims for a chance to punch their ticket to the national championships in Oregon.

For more information on the Cowboys and Cowgirls, continue to check back with okstate.com. 

Men’s Individual Results 

Triple Jump 

9. Rajuan Ricketts – 14.63m/47’10.75″ 

1,500 Meters 

1. Fouad Messaoudi – 3:37.27 

4. Alex Stitt – 3:38.89 

9. Ayden Granados – 3:54.86 

800 Meters 

5. Hafez Mahadi – 1:46.65 

400 Meter Hurdles 

7. Caio Almeida – 51.01 

5,000 Meters 

3. Denis Kipngetich – 13:30.95 

12. Ryan Schoppe – 13:47.28 

22. Jacob Deacon – 14:14.63 

24. Kian Davis – 14:23.35 

31. David Mora – 14:56.81 

32. Oliver Patton – 14:57.40 

33. Will Conway – 15:09.56 

4×400 Meter Relay 

4. J. Smith, W. Bynum, T. Cook, M. Page – 3:05.31 

Women’s Individual Results 

High Jump 

8. Kileigh Mixon – 1.74m/5’8.5″ 

1,500 Meters 

8. Madi Surber – 4:17.32 

800 Meters 

6. Kaylie Politza – 2:03.13 

400 Meter Hurdles 

9. Kalen Goodman – 1:14.44 

5,000 Meters 

2. Isca Chelangat – 15:31.35 

13. Victoria Lagat – 16:20.95 

15. Lauren Ping – 16:26.43 

16. Josphine Mwaura – 16:28.13 

17. Grace Ping – 16:31.33 

22. Gentry Turner – 16:52.29 

25. Colleen Stegmann – 16:56.28 

26. Autumn Michalski – 16:57.21 

28. Mandeep Sangha – 17:01.43 

30. Aubrey O’Connell – 17:04.23 

33. Kevriana Scott – 17:16.48 

4×400 Meter Relay 

7. A. Scott, A. Molenhouse, K. Politza, J. Mickens-Malik – 3:37.93