Cuban Duo Damián Gómez and Eblis Veranes Win Men's Beach Volleyball Gold at Santo Domingo 2026

July 31, 2026

Cuban beach volleyball players Damián Gómez Limonta and Eblis Veranes won the gold medal in men's beach volleyball at the XXV Central American and Caribbean Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, defeating Mexico's Carlos Ayala and Antonio Vargas in the final. The Cuban pair dropped the first set 19-21 before rallying to win 22-20 and 15-11.

Gómez, born October 24, 2004, and Veranes, both natives of Guantánamo province, went undefeated through the tournament, losing only that first set of the final across the entire competition. It marked their first appearance at a Central American and Caribbean Games.

The duo, coached by Francisco Álvarez Cutiño and trained at Cuba's National School, began competing together in 2024 and won gold that year at a NORCECA Beach Volleyball Circuit stop in Punta Cana. They added two silver medals on the 2026 NORCECA Tour before arriving in Santo Domingo as one of Cuba's medal contenders.

The gold returned the men's beach volleyball title to Cuba, which had taken bronze in the event at the previous Central American and Caribbean Games in San Salvador in 2023. Gómez and Veranes said afterward that communication on the court and supporting each other through difficult moments were key to the win. The pair is scheduled to compete in a pre-Olympic tournament in Puerto Rico in November, with an eye toward qualifying for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.