Cuba have right to host Oympics’

Castro said rich and developed nations had unfairly dominated hosting the Olympics throughout its history.

“We are not demanding this for Cuba. We are demanding this for all the Caribbean islands, and all the third world nations who have never been given the right to host the Games,” he said.

“We demand that right for almost five billion (third world) inhabitants who have been ignored or unknown.”

In the 23 Olympics since Athens in 1896, the only thirdworld nation to host the Games was Mexico in 1968.

“With more than 350 million inhabitants, the Caribbean, Central America and South America have never hosted the Olympics, not even Africa, with more than 700 million people,” Castro added. His comments were carried by state media.

Castro argued that Cuba, a communist-run nation of 11 million people, should also be given the chance to host the Games in recognition of its own impressive sports’ record.

Cuba is by far the strongest Olympic power in Latin America, taking eighth place in Atlanta 1996 with nine gold medals, and fifth place in Barcelona 1992 with 14 golds.

It came second only to the United States in the recent Pan-American Games in Canada, beating the rest of the continent and reaping 69 gold medals.“This little country, blockaded and attacked in a thousand different ways, has done more for sport than any other people in history,” Castro said, referring to Washington’s 37-year-old trade embargo on Cuba that Havana calls a “blockade.”Castro recognised that Cuba’s bid to host the Olympics “would not be easy.”

The island is emerging from an economic crisis prompted by the loss of aid and trade with the former Soviet bloc, and there will inevitably be doubts over its ability to set up an Olympic infrastructure.