42 members of the Laney "Have Rackets — Will Travel" Tennis Group visited Havana, Cuba, in November, 2023 under the "Sports Diplomacy" program. The group brought gifts to donate to the Cuban Children Tennis Foundation including 30 tennis rackets, T-Shirts, caps and misc items from USTA NorCal Section and the Golden State Warriors. 

By Janie McCauley, Sports writer at Associated Press

"A couple of dozen Cuban tennis players sat in the bleachers eagerly awaiting the arrival of our group of 40-something Americans from the Bay Area for a day on the courts.

We split up by rankings to make the matches as equal as possible without truly knowing how good the home players were.

So glad I grabbed a couple of cans of tennis balls from my Costco case by the door – because they had none. And these are some of the more affluent people in Cuba, where a medical doctor earns approximately $50 U.S. dollars a month – yes, in one month.

Before the first points were played we received some basic instruction from  tournament director Joel of the hotel to make sure we knew the basics:

“Afuera” – out.

“Adentro” – in.

“Afuera! Adentro!” the visiting players repeated before heading off to their assigned courts.

Even our fearless leader and a lifelong civil servant, Henry Chang -- at 88 and a former four-term vice mayor of Oakland -- walked onto the court and showed off his crisp volleys that are still plenty tough. Chang himself met Fidel Castro multiple times and gathered this group for a few days in Havana, and he now dreams of one day bringing the Harlem Globetrotters to Cuba for a game. Chang has been in touch with the communist country’s basketball federation. One hit is there’s currently not a viable venue to pull it off.

Yet Chang hardly gives up easily. He has accomplished so much already during a life of giving back. A former architect with a law degree, he has taken tennis groups to China and Mongolia and many other spots around the globe.

“The Laney and Cuban tennis players shared a special day of passionate, competitive yet fun tennis, even waiting out a tropical rain delay while developing quick and kindhearted friendships,” Laney board member Dan Chin said.

The local tennis athletes cherished everything we brought along. Bob Yee secured 24 rackets for donation and packed them into a pair of suitcases, each with fresh grips and some with new strings. We left dampeners, USTA T-shirts and even some wristbands. A tube of electrolyte tablets are a luxury and I handed those off to one man, too.

Their courts certainly would be on the top priority list for resurfacing in the U.S. but are some of the best in Cuba. The day of tennis, coordinated by Stefano and his staff from HC Tours Havana, was interrupted by a downpour a couple of hours in but everyone found cover and had lunch then returned for more tennis once the rain stopped and the courts were dry again.

“Even though there was a language barrier, both sides understood the rules of the game and had so much fun playing with each other,” Bowyee Gong of Fremont, California, said of her experience. “I thought it was an opportunity not to be missed when I heard about it and all the better to share it with the Laney tennis community.”

A highlight for me was a set with Miguel Cordovi Sanchez, a former Cuban national team player who now deals with a bum hip that makes it hard to chase down everything anymore but is still crafty with plenty of slice and surprise on his shots. He quickly reminded me to swing across my body and fully follow through.

His son, Denis Cordovi Sanchez Ariel, was among the top few players in the Cuba group. I paired with him against Marlon – “Marlon Brando!” he proudly calls himself though his actual last name is Fernandez – against dear friend and teammate Julienne Nakano and we were so even it went to a tiebreaker.

In the streets of this baseball-crazed country, you also see nearly every NBA jersey represented: There are well-worn Stephen Curry uniforms, LeBron James and even some honoring the late Kobe Bryant.

The Golden State Warriors, San Francisco Giants and Oakland Athletics thoughtfully loaded me up with their leftover giveaway items to share in Havana. T-shirts, socks, hats, duffel bags – every item was a huge hit. I would see people in the neighborhood wearing the gear the very next day, like those bright blue “Los Warriors” T-shirts.

It took a pulley to heave my 55-plus-pound suitcase up a few floors to my hotel room when it couldn’t be brought up the steep staircase.

Pencils, crayons, paints, stickers and Warriors folders were among the four bags of supplies we handed off to a nearby school, where the teacher patiently waited outside until after 6 p.m. for my return when her school week was done and after I’d met her earlier during a walking tour. Tea bags and instant coffee pouches were so appreciated as something nice for the teachers’ lounge.

Nakano was one of four of us to purchase a handmade straw hat from a man during one stop on our tour of a rainforest area. The cost: $10 U.S. dollars. That, we quickly realized, likely helped his family get through the holiday season.

“Life-changing,” she said of the experience.

Photo courtesey of Janie McCauley

Photo courtesey of Janie McCauley

Photo courtesey of Janie McCauley