Tomás Herrera Martínez Passed Away

October 21, 2020

The Cuban sports family mourned on Sunday night the death of Tomás Herrera Martínez.

"Deep sorrow in #InderCuba", wrote Osvaldo Vento Montiller, president of the institution, on his Twitter account.

"May his dedication and loyalty to the Revolution permanently accompany the work of this, his institution", added the executive.

A graduate in Political Science, after his retirement he took on tasks linked to sports in the National Committee of the UJC, as a prelude to the extensive work history covered at Inder, where he held various responsibilities.

The International Relations and High Performance departments, and the National Basketball Commission hosted part of that work, until his appointment as president of the National Commission for Athlete Care, since its creation in 2002 at the initiative of Comandante en Jefe Fidel Castro Ruz.

A member of the Communist Party of Cuba and recipient of multiple recognitions, Tomás Herrera Martínez leaves a legacy of absolute dedication to the work he defended with unwavering resolve.

His body will be waked in the early morning hours of Monday at the funeral home on Calzada and K, and buried at 9:00 at the Colón cemetery.

May the message of condolence from the Cuban sports movement reach his family and friends.

Looking through news about Bolivia on Twitter late Sunday night, I came across something just published: Tomás Herrera has passed away.

-Damn, el Jabao...-I jumped…..

A blow like those that leave you breathless…

A spectacular athlete, a basketball player from that generation -to this day unrepeatable- Olympic, protagonist of the night games with Fidel on the court at the sports city… A man loyal to his principles, to his country, to his sports movement. Always jovial, smiling, so elegant, tall and with a pleasant voice with his colleagues, with the press and with anyone who approached him....Humble and also immense...

I love el Jabao very much.

That's why I don't believe he's not here, even though his phone at this moment, when I dial it, has been turned off. And because of things of the human mind that refuses to accept, I repeat the call and the same thing happens.... The voice of a man like him cannot go out like this, that's why I allow myself to remember him in this anecdote, from an interview he gave us in 2016, for the Comandante en Jefe's 90th birthday.

To el Jabao, today and always.

Taken from the Blog Patria y Amor by journalist Dayli Sánchez Lemus and https://www.cubadebate.cu/noticias/2020/10/19/luto-en-el-deporte-cubano-fallecio-tomas-herrera-martinez/#.X5BQ1UJKiro