In Cuba, Sport is a core subject on the school curriculum at all levels and is given equal weight

with educational objectives. Sporting talent is honed in a series of special institutions and in a
highly competitive environment (Caricom, 2013).
Baseball is considered to be the national sport of Cuba, and the sport which most ordinary
Cubans are passionate about. Cuba has a long history of playing this sport on the island which
goes back to the 19th century. The national baseball team of Cuba is easily the best in Latin
America and often dominates regional competitions in this sport (Globerover, 2010).
Technological advancement in baseball includes the Instant replay. Recently the rise of replay
capabilities on television began to make it difficult to ignore frequent missed calls by umpires
(Depta, 2013). Opponents of instant replay champion the human element of the game and
prioritize maintaining baseballs historical integrity. As Depta (2013) puts it, It will be
interesting to follow this as the years go on. Its feasible that one day the human element could
be entirely eliminated. One day we may have robot umpires and use technology like ESPNs K
Zone to determine balls and strikes.
Another beneficial in technology for baseball in Cuba is the complex evolution of the
baseball gloves. Baseball equipment has come a long way in the games history. From batting
helmets to catchers protective gear to outfielders sunglasses, equipment has adapted to the
needs of the game. However Over the years, gloves have evolved significantly from the
standpoints of size, shape, material makeup and even the number of fingers (Depta, 2013).
Currently there are specific gloves for each position. For example, a catchers mitt doesnt have
separated fingers but does have extra padding. An outfielders glove has extra-long fingers to
extend the reach of the outfielder, and an infielders glove is smaller and shallower to allow for
quicker removal of the ball (Depta, 2013).

Honourable mention includes; Tommy John Surgery, drug testing, artificial turf and rubber to
cork baseball centres and Sabermetrics.
Boxing is the sport that Cuba has enjoyed the most success in on the international stage.
Every four years Cuba comes home from the Olympics with a few medals in this sport. Cuba
practically dominates the world amateur boxing championships winning gold medals in almost
all weight divisions (Caricom, 2013). Technological Advancement that are becoming a part of
professional boxer worldwide have eluded Cuba as all training and preparation for matches are
done manually and techniques are passed on by current and former Olympic medal holders and
champions. This makes the boxer from Cuba very confident, considering themselves amongst the
great all due to their tough training regimes void of technological interferences. It must be noted
however that the Cuban fighters do use fighting equipment which are designed through research
and development, to improve their skills or to participate in international competition (Rainsford,
2013).
Cuba also has a great history in athletics or track and field. The first Olympic success in
this sport by Cuba came in 1964 in Tokyo when Enrique Figuerola won silver in the Mens 100
meter sprint. Cuba continued to provide top contributors to this sport in the international arena,
with the likes of Alberto Juantorena Danger dominating this sport in Cuba during the 1970s. The
Sports Medicine Institute (abbreviated in Spanish as IMD) in Havana is a hub of energy
concentrated on the health and training of the nations top athletes. While fencing teams,
wrestlers and judokas work out in one building, multidisciplinary staffs keeps office hours next
door for athletes, retired athletes, their families and others referred to their services (Jimnez,
2009).

Sport in Jamaica is a significant part of Jamaican culture. The most popular sports are
those imported from Britain. The most popular sport is cricket or some would say football; other
popular sports include athletics, and netball. Other sports such as rugby league and rugby
union are considered growing sports. Due to Jamaicans success in track and field events over the
years, coaches and players has been exposed to more modern technological advancements than
any other Caribbean island. It is to be noted however that some of these technological advanced
equipment are not based in Jamaica but elsewhere and athletes are made to travel to access these
equipment and facilities. A recent major achievement is the Technique Lab - Jamaica and the
Caribbean's first facility uses technology to improve performance in sports - at Tangerine Place
in St Andrew (Stamp, 2013).
This sports performance and fitness centre is geared to make a significant difference in
structuring individualised training programmes for athletes across all sporting platforms.
In comparison Jamaica is at the leading as it relates to technological advancement and its
use in sports over Cuba however, when it comes to sports medicine Cuba seems to be clearly
ahead. This is due to their establishment of an institute dedicated to athletes medical health.

Reference
Caricom. (2013). Second Meeting of the Human Resource Development (HRD) in Sport
Committee. Caricom: caricom.org.
Depta, L. (2013). The Top Five Technological Advancements in MLB History. Los Angles:
sporttechie.com.
Globerover. (2010, March 29). Popular Sports in Cuba. Retrieved March 13, 2014, from
Globerove.com: http://globerove.com/cuba/cuban-sports-guide-popular-sports-in-cuba/263
Jimnez, C. (2009, November 12). Balancing Health and High Performance. (M. Review,
Interviewer)
Rainsford, S. (2013). Can boxing pack a punch in Cuba? BBC Latin America.
Stamp, M. (2013, September 19). Technique Lab Providing Scientific Development For Athletes.
The Gleaner , p. B4.