Japanese Morinari Watanabe, president of the International Gymnastics Federation (IGF), praised the result of this sport in Cuba through the figure of Manrique Larduet on his arrival in this city.

At Jose Martí International Airport, he said that the motivations of this short 24-hour visit to Havana have to do with Tokyo being the venue of the next Olympic Games, and of course with the development Cuba has been reaching, mainly though Larduet, whom he thinks can even win a gold medal in Tokyo 2020.

Watanabe is touring the region and he already visited the United States prior to Cuba, where he will hold a meeting with Roberto León Richards, first vice-president of the National Institute of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation (INDER by its Spanish acronym) and vice-president of the Cuban Olympic Committee.

He will also make a tour of the National Gymnastics School, where he will exchange with Cuban executives and will talk to the sports press.

The distinguished visitor is accompanied by André F. Guesbuhler, IGF secretary general.

The delegation was received at the terminal by Willian García Benítez, president of the Cuban Gymnastics Federation.