Fraser blog: Obama shakes hands with Cuba after 56-year wrestling bout
Share:
by USA Wrestling
Photo of two-time Olympic champion Mijaín Lopez of Cuba shaking hands with USA Wrestling’s Steve Fraser courtesy of Steve Fraser.
The United States and Cuba made a historic shift in our two countries’ disconnect, and now strive to re-establish our diplomatic relationship after more than five decades.
Separated by only 90 miles of water, the U.S. and Cuba, whom at one time had the world on edge of nuclear war, have been struggling in a “no win” wrestling match for 56 years. The 50-year U.S. economic embargo has restricted U.S. dollars and travel, among other things, and has made it very difficult to engage with our neighbors from the south.
From an international wrestling and former national coach’s perspective, I am very happy to see this new development. There have been many times when our Olympic wrestling team has wanted to train with the very strong wrestling nation of Cuba and couldn’t because of the embargo. Iron sharpens iron and training and competing with strong opponents is how we become world class.
I have been traveling to Cuba for over 18 years with the U.S. Greco-Roman wrestling team. We compete every year in the Granma Tournament which takes place in Havana. To do this we have had to apply for an OFAC License from the State Department. The good news is, most years, we have been able to get this very difficult license. Beside this event, however, we have had little “back and forth” training and competition with the Cubans.
The country of Cuba is one of the most interesting of all the many countries that I have traveled. The long history of Cuba fascinates me, especially the Fidel Castro era.
Their wrestling history is also very interesting to me considering the small size of their country and the fact that they continue to produce quality world class wrestlers throughout the past many years. Still on top of his game is Mijain Lopez, a Cuban Greco-Roman heavyweight wrestler who has now won two Olympic Gold medals and five world gold medals. He is, without doubt, one of the best wrestlers ever to step on a mat.
Fidel Castro was Cuba’s president for a time period that spanned 10 U.S. Presidents. Fidel’s relationship with the USA began with President Dwight D. Eisenhower and continued with all the U.S. Presidents through George W. Bush. Ten U.S. Presidents have had to deal with this Cuban leader throughout his almost 50-year reign as Cuba’s Head of State.
Raul Castro, who is Fidel’s brother, is currently calling the shots for Cuba since Fidel turned over his position a time ago when he turned ill.
The Castros led a revolutionary overthrow of Fulgencio Batista, who was in power in the mid-1950's, and started the beginning of Cuba as it stands today.
In 1955 Castro was released from prison where he was serving a sentence for actions that were against the government. Fearing assassination by Batista he fled to Mexico to meet up with Che Guevara, who was a Bolivian rebel fighter. Che is still the most popular revolutionary hero in Cuba and is known around the world. This is where Castro and Che put together plans that ultimately dislodged Batista.
In 1956 the ‘Granma yacht’ landed in eastern Cuba with Castro and 81 rebels aboard. Crushed by the Cuban Army, only about a dozen survived to regroup in the Cuban mountains. Of those 12 men, Fidel and Raul Castro survived.
After years of skirmishing and fighting, Che Guevara in 1958 masterminded an attack against an armored train in Santa Clara which was victorious and forced Batista to finally concede power. Castro was welcomed ecstatically in Havana.
In 1960 Castro nationalized U.S. assets, provoking the U.S. to cancel our sugar quota that we were purchasing from Cuba. Castro immediately ran into the arms of the Soviet Union and sold the sugar – lock, stock and barrel, to Khrushchev.
This started the poor relations and eventual Cuban Missile Crisis saga between Cuba, the Soviets and the U.S.
But what fascinates me even more then this revolutionary history is how this small island country can produce some of the worlds most talented and successful wrestlers year in, year out.
With some of the worst training facilities and equipment that I have ever seen, it is remarkable how the Cuban program continues to produce champion wrestlers. It just goes to show that it takes a lot more than good facilities to be successful.
Maybe it is the talented athletes they have. Maybe it is the only way these young wrestlers can overcome the great poverty in normal-day Cuba. Maybe it is the hot climate they train in daily. Maybe it is their great wrestling tradition.
I have studied their program for years and still cannot totally figure it out. I do know that their Junior program is where they do a lot of hard work with their kids to establish their great skills.
I know they are fighters for sure. They have fought their entire history. They fight daily in their effort to survive in a society that would astonish most Americans.
The word “poor” only hints at the life for most Cubans. The average salary for college educated professionals is approximately $20 per month. Yes, you are reading this correctly, $20 per month! Doctors make around $300 per year from what I have learned.
Taxi drivers who earn tips and don’t always record all of their foreign tourist customers fares are some of the highest paid workers in the Cuban system. One taxi driver admitted to me that he made close to $10,000 in one year due to collecting tourist dollars from foreign customers.
My hope is that Obama’s new approach with Cuba will loosen the ties between our two countries and promote a healthy new beginning where the “wrestling” will take place only on the mat, and not in the political arena.
Steve Fraser is the Chief of Donor and Alumni Relations for USA Wrestling, and served 18 years as USA Wrestling’s National Greco-Roman Coach. He was a 1984 Olympic gold medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling.
The United States and Cuba made a historic shift in our two countries’ disconnect, and now strive to re-establish our diplomatic relationship after more than five decades.
Separated by only 90 miles of water, the U.S. and Cuba, whom at one time had the world on edge of nuclear war, have been struggling in a “no win” wrestling match for 56 years. The 50-year U.S. economic embargo has restricted U.S. dollars and travel, among other things, and has made it very difficult to engage with our neighbors from the south.
From an international wrestling and former national coach’s perspective, I am very happy to see this new development. There have been many times when our Olympic wrestling team has wanted to train with the very strong wrestling nation of Cuba and couldn’t because of the embargo. Iron sharpens iron and training and competing with strong opponents is how we become world class.
I have been traveling to Cuba for over 18 years with the U.S. Greco-Roman wrestling team. We compete every year in the Granma Tournament which takes place in Havana. To do this we have had to apply for an OFAC License from the State Department. The good news is, most years, we have been able to get this very difficult license. Beside this event, however, we have had little “back and forth” training and competition with the Cubans.
The country of Cuba is one of the most interesting of all the many countries that I have traveled. The long history of Cuba fascinates me, especially the Fidel Castro era.
Their wrestling history is also very interesting to me considering the small size of their country and the fact that they continue to produce quality world class wrestlers throughout the past many years. Still on top of his game is Mijain Lopez, a Cuban Greco-Roman heavyweight wrestler who has now won two Olympic Gold medals and five world gold medals. He is, without doubt, one of the best wrestlers ever to step on a mat.
Fidel Castro was Cuba’s president for a time period that spanned 10 U.S. Presidents. Fidel’s relationship with the USA began with President Dwight D. Eisenhower and continued with all the U.S. Presidents through George W. Bush. Ten U.S. Presidents have had to deal with this Cuban leader throughout his almost 50-year reign as Cuba’s Head of State.
Raul Castro, who is Fidel’s brother, is currently calling the shots for Cuba since Fidel turned over his position a time ago when he turned ill.
The Castros led a revolutionary overthrow of Fulgencio Batista, who was in power in the mid-1950's, and started the beginning of Cuba as it stands today.
In 1955 Castro was released from prison where he was serving a sentence for actions that were against the government. Fearing assassination by Batista he fled to Mexico to meet up with Che Guevara, who was a Bolivian rebel fighter. Che is still the most popular revolutionary hero in Cuba and is known around the world. This is where Castro and Che put together plans that ultimately dislodged Batista.
In 1956 the ‘Granma yacht’ landed in eastern Cuba with Castro and 81 rebels aboard. Crushed by the Cuban Army, only about a dozen survived to regroup in the Cuban mountains. Of those 12 men, Fidel and Raul Castro survived.
After years of skirmishing and fighting, Che Guevara in 1958 masterminded an attack against an armored train in Santa Clara which was victorious and forced Batista to finally concede power. Castro was welcomed ecstatically in Havana.
In 1960 Castro nationalized U.S. assets, provoking the U.S. to cancel our sugar quota that we were purchasing from Cuba. Castro immediately ran into the arms of the Soviet Union and sold the sugar – lock, stock and barrel, to Khrushchev.
This started the poor relations and eventual Cuban Missile Crisis saga between Cuba, the Soviets and the U.S.
But what fascinates me even more then this revolutionary history is how this small island country can produce some of the worlds most talented and successful wrestlers year in, year out.
With some of the worst training facilities and equipment that I have ever seen, it is remarkable how the Cuban program continues to produce champion wrestlers. It just goes to show that it takes a lot more than good facilities to be successful.
Maybe it is the talented athletes they have. Maybe it is the only way these young wrestlers can overcome the great poverty in normal-day Cuba. Maybe it is the hot climate they train in daily. Maybe it is their great wrestling tradition.
I have studied their program for years and still cannot totally figure it out. I do know that their Junior program is where they do a lot of hard work with their kids to establish their great skills.
I know they are fighters for sure. They have fought their entire history. They fight daily in their effort to survive in a society that would astonish most Americans.
The word “poor” only hints at the life for most Cubans. The average salary for college educated professionals is approximately $20 per month. Yes, you are reading this correctly, $20 per month! Doctors make around $300 per year from what I have learned.
Taxi drivers who earn tips and don’t always record all of their foreign tourist customers fares are some of the highest paid workers in the Cuban system. One taxi driver admitted to me that he made close to $10,000 in one year due to collecting tourist dollars from foreign customers.
My hope is that Obama’s new approach with Cuba will loosen the ties between our two countries and promote a healthy new beginning where the “wrestling” will take place only on the mat, and not in the political arena.
Steve Fraser is the Chief of Donor and Alumni Relations for USA Wrestling, and served 18 years as USA Wrestling’s National Greco-Roman Coach. He was a 1984 Olympic gold medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling.
