Havana - Cuban athletes were prevented from participating in the World Weightlifting Championships in Anaheim, the United States, because the U.S. Embassy in Havana is not carrying out consular procedures, it was reported here today.

Cuba had planned to compete with seven weightlifters (three men and four women) in the tournament, scheduled from November 28 to December 5, National Weightlifting Commissioner Jorge Luis Barcelan told the newspaper Granma.

Due to that inconvenient, the members of the Cuban delegation could not get visas to visit the United States.