Roberto Limonta, a celebrated figure in Cuban sports, has publicly criticized the neglect he has experienced from authorities who "promised a lot but delivered nothing." Limonta, who retired from the national team back in 1995, revealed on Facebook, according to independent outlet Swing Completo, that he was promised various benefits such as a new house and vehicle, none of which materialized.
His comments were triggered by a post regarding Mijaín López's coach, Raúl Trujillo, who received a used car lacking proper technical conditions as a reward from the regime for his contribution to sports on the island. "I, Roberto Limonta Vargas, known as 'The Rock' in freestyle wrestling, support Professor Trujillo's views, as I am enduring these very same issues," Limonta expressed.
Limonta, who has undergone surgery for two hip prostheses due to injuries sustained from wrestling, lamented, “I am still living on the fifth floor. No one remembers me, and I am accompanied only by my solitude and sadness.”
He detailed his extensive achievements, including 15 national championships, two Central American Games titles, three Pan American Games titles, six World Cup medals (two silver and four bronze), a bronze at the 1991 World Championships in Varna, and a commendable sixth place at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
Instances of Cuban sports legends being neglected and forgotten by the authorities are increasingly common. In September 2024, it was revealed that Margarita Skeet, a prominent figure in Cuban women's basketball, lives in complete neglect and relies on the charity of neighbors in Cotorro, Havana. Skeet, who is blind, resides in a humble setting without any support from the island's athletic authorities, despite her past achievements.
In July of the same year, former volleyball player Abel Sarmientos Bios, who was part of a generation that elevated Cuban volleyball to global prominence, passed away in Havana at 61, living in poverty and obscurity. Sarmientos was a remarkable attacker for the national team for 14 years, from 1981 to 1994.
In February 2023, Félix Isasi, a Cuban baseball legend, denounced the neglect from authorities in Matanzas after receiving no support or visits following a transient ischemic attack, and struggled to find parts for his car. Sadly, he passed away in February 2024 under these conditions. In September 2022, former world youth javelin champion Marisleysis Duharte Morell criticized the government and authorities amid her battle with a chronic autoimmune rheumatic disease. The former athlete from Santiago de Cuba recalled being a "healthy, cheerful, and lively person," now forgotten by INDER, neither acknowledged for her past contributions to the nation as an athlete.
The Plight of Cuban Sports Legends
What did Roberto Limonta reveal about the promises made to him?
Roberto Limonta revealed that he was promised a new house and vehicle upon his retirement from the national team, but these promises were never fulfilled.
How have other Cuban sports figures been affected by neglect?
Other Cuban sports figures like Margarita Skeet and Abel Sarmientos Bios have also been affected by neglect, living in poverty and relying on charity due to lack of support from authorities.
What health issues has Roberto Limonta faced?
Roberto Limonta has undergone surgeries for two hip prostheses as a result of injuries sustained during his wrestling career.