CaribWorldNews, HAVANA, Cuba, Fri. Jan. 8, 2010: Seven Caribbean athletes are among eleven others set to be inducted into the Central American and Caribbean Athletics Hall of Fame.
The ceremony is set for this Saturday, Jan. 9th, in Havana, Cuba. Amogn the honorees are Cubans Hermes Riveri and Leandro Peñalver and the late Blas Beato and Jose Godoy.
Also set to be honored from the region are Silvio Cator of Haiti, Esther Maynard of Barbados and Keith Parker of the Bahamas.
Blas Beato was a legendary coach who guided world class athletes, including two-time World champion and fourth fastest 800-m runner of all time, Ana Fidelia Quirot, as well as 1968 Olympic finalist Aurelia Penton.
Godoy has been one of Cuba`s greatest coaches and the individual responsible for the success of high jumpers Francisco Centelles and World record holder Javier Sotomayor.
Leandro Peñalver led Cuban sprints in the 1980`s, taking the 1983 Pan American Games 100m title and the 1985 World University Games 200m gold. He also ran in the 4x400m relay squad who took bronze at the 1987 World Championships in Rome.
Hermes Riveri has been a crucial figure in the progress of throwing events in Cuba, especially in the Discus Throw. He led 69m thrower Carmen Romero, Luis Mariano Deliz to the 1980 Olympic bronze and two World championships medals, as well as Maritza Marteen to the 1992 Olympic gold in Barcelona.
The late Silvio Cator won Latin America`s first Olympic athletics medal when he leapt to the Long Jump silver at the 1928 Games in Amsterdam.
Maynard has been one of the region`s top leaders and technical experts who has devoted close to four decades to the development of athletics in Barbados and in Central American and the Caribbean.
Parker will be recognized for introducing athletics to Bahamas in the early 1960`s. As a master coach, he led many international medallists from his country. He has and continues to serve the region in many capacities.
The induction of these outstanding figures was decided during the 2009 Central American and Caribbean Athletics Confederation (CACAC) Congress held in Havana, Cuba, in July 2009.
