Héctor Gregorio Rodríguez Almaral

Outstanding sports journalist, specialized in baseball, narrator and sports commentator for Cuban Radio and Television. Founder of the Sports News. He passed away at the age of 66, a victim of cancer.

"Greetings to all of you". This is how he called us to enjoy the National Baseball Series Games, which he stamped with a distinctive mark with his voice, as a reflection of an infinite passion for sports and for the Revolution, to which he gave his whole heart, the same heart that made all of us vibrate on many occasions. Not a few are moved by that legendary description of Alberto Juantorena's race on July 25, 1976, when the elegant runner was crowned Olympic champion in the city of Montreal.

He began as a sports commentator by joining the group of workers at Radio Morón, where for several years he was a commentator for sports broadcasts that originated from Estadio Paquito Espinosa, as well as in the newscasts and other sports programs of that radio station. He worked as a journalist for the National Television News.

He began narrating baseball along with several colleagues from Ciego de Ávila during 1964 and 1965. In 1965 he was called by Radio Cadena Agramonte, in Camagüey and began narrating at the provincial and national stage in this province, at Estadio Cándido González which had just been inaugurated. He narrated with Rolando Crespo, later with Nene Corredero, Ariel Noa.

In 1966 a course for sports narrators was organized at the Instituto Superior de Cultura Física Manuel Fajardo. He went to Havana for this two-year course, and while in the course he was sent to work. And in 1967 he already had his first television job.

In 1968 he became a substitute for Radio and Television. On radio were Eddy and Salamanca and on television were Rubén Rodríguez and Juan, when one of the four could not work, he would substitute. Either he would work on radio or on television. By late 1968 he was hired permanently to work in television.

In his work for sports he was known for his characteristic greeting, expressing:

"Greetings to all of you"
This is how he called the population to enjoy the National Baseball Series Games, which he stamped with a distinctive mark with his voice. He is also remembered for the description of Alberto Juantorena's race on July 25, 1976, when he won the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games in Canada.

His voice, his knowledge and the timely analyses of the national and international sports world that he delivered with proven fidelity to professional principles.

He was a deputy to the National Assembly since 1993, in which he held the position of Vice President of the Health and Sports commission; tireless worker at the Cuban Institute of Radio and Television (ICRT), member of the Association of Rebel Youth, the CDR leader in the municipality of Playa.

Héctor went through the bitter experience of polio, which forced him to use a cane for decades.