Jovellanos Athletes Shine in Santo Domingo 2026

Matanzas athletes continue to stand out in the XXV Central American and Caribbean Games Santo Domingo 2026, adding new medals to the Cuban medal tally.

Judoka Andy Granda, originally from Jovellanos, and taekwondo athlete Kelvin Calderón, from Coliseo, stepped onto the podium in their respective disciplines, on a day that reaffirms the region’s sporting talent.

Judoka Andy Granda (+100 kg) closed with a golden finish the Cuban judo performance this Monday. In a final contested against Dominican José Nova, the Matanzas athlete managed to win by ippon after accumulating two shidos against him, demonstrating his composure and quality.

With this title, Granda adds his third gold in Central American Games, in addition to a silver obtained in Veracruz 2014, consolidating himself as an undisputed figure in Cuban sports.

For his part, Kelvin Calderón contributed a bronze medal in the 80 kg taekwondo category. He managed to step onto the podium in a competition that brought together the best exponents of the region. Calderón’s performance adds to the successful performance of the Cuban delegation in these games, which already accumulates ten gold medals, seven silver, and fifteen bronze, keeping the Island in third place in the overall medal table.

These results are part of the outstanding performance of Cuban judo, which has been one of the delegation’s pillars in Santo Domingo 2026, with six titles and four bronzes in the individual tournament.

The participation of Jovellanos athletes Andy Granda and Kelvin Calderón reflects the commitment and preparation of Matanzas athletes, who continue to write pages of glory for Cuban sports in the regional competition taking place in the Dominican Republic.

With photo and information taken from Guillermo Hidalgo Gato and JIT.