133 Cuban athletes have qualified for Beijing Olympics

HAVANA, April 30 (Xinhua) -- A total of 133 Cuban athletes in 16 different sports have qualified for the Beijing Olympic Games that will start 100 days from now, on August 8.

Cuban fencing athletes Maylin Gonzalez and Misleidys Company earned this past weekend the most recent berths at the pre-Olympics in Queretaro, Mexico.

Sources from the Cuban Sports Institute (INDER) confirmed on Wednesday that Cuba has also obtained Beijing passes for athletics (36), baseball (24), women's volleyball (12), wrestling (12) and boxing (9).

Cuban athletes will also compete in rowing (9), weightlifting (6), diving (5), judo (5), taekwondo (3), shooting (3), cycling (3), boating (2), archery (1) and pentathlon (1).

Cuba can still obtain more Olympic passes in the forthcoming months, including for women's basketball and handball.

Cuba aims to participate in the Games with some 150 athletes.

In its Olympic Games history, Cuba has won 179 medals: 65 gold, 53 silver and 52 of bronze, and has been one of the top countries in the Olympic Games as of Barcelona.

In Athens, Cuba's sports delegation finished 11th overall, with nine gold medals, seven silver and 11 bronze.