Luis Orta Brought Cuban Flavor to the Bundesliga

February 5, 2025

Cuban Luis Alberto Orta, Olympic champion in Tokyo-2020 and bronze medalist in Paris-2024, recently returned from Germany, where he was one of the fundamental pieces for club ASV Schorndorf in winning the Bundesliga wrestling championship.

"It was a great experience, although it falls short of that feeling of representing Cuba in the Olympic Games or at a world championship. The club welcomed me like family, and we went through difficult moments. However, we came through and I am satisfied with this result in one of the best wrestling leagues in the world," he told Granma.

In the event, Orta contributed nine victories to his team without any losses. In addition, he achieved the maximum points in almost all matches. In the final he also added a victory, which helped secure the crown for a club that hadn't won since 1975.

The champion from "La Güinera," in the Havana municipality of Arroyo Naranjo, had to compete in the 66 and 71 kg divisions. "I had matches against world-level rivals. In the Bundesliga you compete in different weight classes; one week I could be in one and the next week in another, it all depends on the strategies of the coaching staff. I competed without hesitation in each of the divisions. The most important thing is to contribute victories to help the team overall. It's pointless to win individually if the group loses," he emphasized.

After his time in the German tournament, the double Olympic medalist is preparing for a demanding season in which his main challenge will be to defend his world title at 67 kilograms. The World Wrestling Championship will be held in Zagreb (Croatia), between September 13-21, 2025; in that setting he will face tough competitors such as Iranian Saeid Esmaeili, who defeated him at the Paris Olympic Games and is currently the ranking leader in his division.

"I hope to be able to compete in as many international events as possible and participate in training camps, which is fundamental for me this year. I want to prepare well to arrive at the World Championship and reclaim the title. If a rematch with the Iranian comes from the Olympics, I think it would be a very interesting fight. I have no desire to compete with him; if it happens, we'll face it, but what matters is having good preparation and arriving in optimal shape at the World Championship to put Cuba at the top," he stated.

With the retirement as an active wrestler of five-time Olympic champion Mijaín López, most specialists indicate that Luis Alberto Orta should become the main figure of the Cuban Greco-Roman wrestling team. His consistency in recent major international competitions has made him one of the most complete wrestlers in the world.