Bolstered by a special message from President Fidel Castro, the first contingent of the Cuban delegation arrived in Indianapolis without incident Wednesday for the Pan American Games. ”Castro spoke to our team,” said Alberto Juantorena, a double gold medalist in the 1976 Olympics and now vice president of the National Institute of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation. ”He told us we need to compete with honor, honesty and modesty, to defend our principles and to do our best to raise the Cuban flag very high.” According to Angel Pino, an attache with the Cuban Olympic Committee, there were 149 people on the flight from Havana. There will be two more flights.
Despite concern of a possible political demonstration at Indianapolis International Airport, there were no casual observers and fewer than 40 reporters as the Cubana Airlines plane landed. ”We are not really concerned about political things,” said Juantorena, vice president of the National Institute of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation. ”We came here to compete, to win, to offer a good spectacle.” According to Angel Pino, an attache with the Cuban Olympic Committee, there were 149 people on the flight from Havana. There will be two more flights.
A Chilean intelligence agent accused of human rights violations expects to get a visa to take part in the Pan Am Games. Chile was thinking about withdrawing after the U.S. denied a visa to former police Capt. Daniel Zuniga, a member of the National Intelligence Central.
Miami (Fla.) baseball coach Ron Fraser, 51, coach of the U.S. Pan Am team, has been hospitalized with a kidney stone. ”I`ll be rarin` to go,” Fraser said. . . . The Racine (Wis.) City Council has stopped short of allowing the city to act as a sponsor for a game between a local club and the Nicaraguan Pam Am team. Instead, it voted to endorse the Aug. 23 game. Racine is the site because it has a sister city relationship with Bluefields, Nicaragua. Several city officials opposed sponsoring the game because it would give the impression the city was making a political statement.
Guard Brian Garner, Wisconsin`s High School Basketball Player of the Year last season, will be eligible to play at Iowa. The Milwaukee Journal had reported that Garner hadn`t met academic requirements. … A record 21.8 million people watched NCAA Division I games last season, and the Big 10 led all conferences for the 11th straight year, drawing 1,805,263, an average of 11,877. Syracuse led all schools, averaging 24,959 for its 19 home games.
Jim Dennison, Akron`s associate athletic director and former football coach, has was named athletic director at the school. . . . Southern Illinois Athletic Director Jim Livengood is one of five finalists to become athletic director at Washington State. He is a former associate athletic director at Washington State.
North Korea, which is demanding to join South Korea as host of the 1988 Olympics, wants one-third of the Summer Games` television revenues if events are telecast from North Korea, according to Japan`s Kyodo News Service.
Alan Bond, who headed a successful challenge that took the America`s Cup from the United States in 1983, wants to launch two challenges and support a third in hopes of regaining sailing`s most coveted prize.
Ralph McFillen, 45, has been named commissioner of the Metro Conference. He had served three years as commissioner of the Gulf South Conference after spending 12 years as the NCAA`s assistant director of championship events and as an enforcement representative.
Steve Cram won the 1,500 meters in 3 minutes 32.93 seconds at the Green Gala track and field meet in Oslo. Walter McCoy won the 400 in 45.65. Patrick Sjoeberg took the high jump at 7 feet 3/4 inches. Liz Lynch won the women`s 5,000 in 15:01.08, the fifth-best time ever. . . . Said Aouita won the 5,000 in 13:21.50 in an international meet in LaCoruna, Spain. Steve Ovett was second in 13:22.80.
Former heavyweight champion George Foreman has signed to fight unbeaten Orlin Norris Sept. 12. . . . All referees and cornermen are required to wear rubber gloves during boxing matches in Kentucky to protect them from AIDS. . . . Former heavyweight champion Tim Witherspoon stopped Mark Wills 75 seconds into the first round Tuesday in Atlantic City. . . . The World Boxing Council has given light-heavyweight champion Thomas Hearns two days to decide whether he will seek the vacant middleweight title against Juan Domingo Roldan.
Former Illinois State star Cathy Olson has been named volleyball coach at North Dakota State.
Raul Alcala won the 2.8-mile Hawaiian Surf Prologue, taking a three-second lead over teammate Ron Kiefel heading into the first stage of the Coors Classic bicycle race. Alcala`s time was 6:20.27.
Al Sinclair, Tom Yost and James Leonardson were tied for first after the first day of the Masters International Shooting Championships in Barry, Ill.
Mark Roth, winless on the Professional Bowlers Association tour since December, 1984, beat Chris Warren 259-212 to win the Greater Buffalo Open. Roth a 299 in his opening game against George Branham III, leaving a 10-pin. It was Roth`s 33d career victory.
