Former assistant coach Luis Felipe Calderon made his debut as head coach of the Cuban women’s team at the 2002 World Championship where he took the team to a credible fifth place. But ever since the glory days of the 1990’s, Cuba continues to struggle to get back on to the podium and heads to Athens with a faint hope of collecting their fourth successive Olympic gold medal.

The 1994 and 1998 world champions and three-time Olympic champions are still rebuilding with players like Yanelia Santos and Nancy Carillo de la Paz just 18 year’s old and it’s up to Calderon, who took Cuba to the silver medal at the 2003 NORCECA Continental Championship and a sixth place finish at the 2003 World Cup, and the renowned Eugenio George Lafita, 70, who is accredited with the status of assistant coach, to put Cuba back on track.

Lafita was in charge when Cuba finished 11th out of 12 teams at the 2003 World Grand Prix, registering just one win (over Italy) from five matches and will be Calderon’s right hand man in Athens.