Daniela Fonseca is already qualified in table tennis for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

April 18, 2021

The Cuban Daniela Fonseca still can't believe her double qualification for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in a discipline she loves, table tennis, and which brings her closer to that childhood dream.

The Argentine city of Rosario was like a stroke of luck for this young woman, who at just 18 years old secured the first ticket in this sport for her country after 21 years of absence from the five-ring tournament and repeated the feat alongside her teammate Jorge Moisés Campos in mixed doubles.

The momentum from her victory in singles by defeating Cuban-origin Mexican Yadira Silva 4-3, she channeled with the force of her racket alongside Campos in a very emotional day the day before, first by defeating her Brazilian counterpart 4-0 in the semifinals of the Latin American qualifier.

She then clinched and took the final spot to Tokyo in mixed doubles against Chilean opponents Paulina Vega and Juan LaMadrid.

'It was a unique experience with only four international tournaments played. I can't believe it, it was a dream I've had since I was 12 years old to be in an Olympic Games,' Fonseca said exclusively to Prensa Latina minutes after her victory.

It wasn't easy. Just to get to Argentina, Daniela, along with her teammates from the Caribbean island delegation, took a 60-hour flight with stops in four countries, but this was only one part of everything experienced in recent months.

Fonseca recounted that it has been very tough preparation, stopping training because of the pandemic, being almost nine months without training and pushing forward since February 5th until now to be able to be in Rosario.

I can't process it. I made a promise in Cuba that I was going to qualify and would be in Tokyo and that promise is being fulfilled now in Argentina, the young woman expressed.

Visibly emotional, the Cuban athlete was very happy about her performance and also that of her teammate Campos, who reached three finals.

'We finally did it now, the two of us together, I'm grateful for this tournament,' she said after expressing her joy about this experience in a country, Argentina, where she met wonderful people.

With her two tickets in hand, Fonseca returns home with the Cuban delegation on another long journey, but happy and already thinking about her debut in an Olympics, where she hopes to give everything.