Gómez and Veranes Win Silver at the Second Stop of the 2026 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour

May 12, 2026

Cuban beach volleyball duo Damián Gómez and Eblis Veranes claimed the silver medal at the second stop of the 2026 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour, held on the sands of Güibía beach in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on May 10 and 11, 2026.

The Cuban pair advanced to the final by defeating Costa Rica's Araya-Grant 2-0 (21-16, 21-19) in the quarterfinals, and the Dominican Republic's Jesús-Martínez 2-0 (21-14, 21-19) in the semifinals — a composed and consistent run through the bracket.

In the gold medal match, Gómez and Veranes faced Mexico's Carlos Andrés Ayala and Inés Antonio Vargas Lares in a three-set final that ended 1-2 (17-21, 21-11, 7-15) in favor of the Mexican pair. Despite the defeat, the Cuban duo showed quality and competitiveness throughout the event, underlining their status as one of the most promising pairings on the continental circuit.

The tournament, which brought together duos from 13 countries, also served as a qualifying event for the 2027 Lima Pan American Games, making Cuba's silver medal run doubly significant — both as a sporting result and as a step toward Olympic qualification.

Damián Gómez Limonta (born October 24, 2004) and Eblis Veranes, both from Guantánamo, are widely regarded as the natural successors to Cuban Olympic duo Noslen Díaz and Jorge Luis Alayo. The pair debuted on the international circuit in 2024 and in their very first season made an impact by winning the fifth stop of the 2024 NORCECA Circuit in Punta Cana. Their silver in this second 2026 Tour event firmly establishes them among the region's top duos.