Island Journeys

Cuba is open to competition with U.S. teams, but can it keep up?

NOW THAT PRESIDENT OBAMA, who met with Cuban leader Raul Castro last week, is playing ball with the formerly embargoed nation, how about the rest of us? The NASL's New York Cosmos, who play their home opener against Tampa Bay on April 18, will take on the Cuban national team in an exhibition in Havana this June, making it the first American professional team to play in Cuba in 16 years. The Cosmos are not alone. The NBA and FIBA will host development camps in Cuba this year, and MLB is attempting to schedule a spring training game in Havana for 2016. Baseball is the national sport, but soccer is on the rise. Here's how Cuban team sports teams stack up.

BASEBALL

CURRENT WORLD RANK 3

GREATEST SUCCESS 1992, '96 AND 2004 OLYMPICS, GOLD

BASKETBALL

MEN'S WORLD RANK 58

GREATEST SUCCESS 1972 OLYMPICS, BRONZE

WOMEN'S WORLD RANK 13

GREATEST SUCCESS 1992 OLYMPICS, FOURTH

VOLLEYBALL

MEN'S WORLD RANK 11

GREATEST SUCCESS 1976 OLYMPICS, BRONZE

WOMEN'S WORLD RANK 26

GREATEST SUCCESS 1992, '96, 2000 OLYMPICS, GOLD

SOCCER

MEN'S WORLD RANK 109

GREATEST SUCCESS 2012 CARIBBEAN CUP, GOLD

WOMEN'S WORLD RANK 96

GREATEST SUCCESS 84TH IN 2009 RANKING

SIGN OF THE APOCALYPSE

After a brawl on April 6, Irish Olympic silver medalist John Joe Nevin was barred from every pub in County Westmeath until his May 21 trial for public intoxication and abusive behavior.

PHOTO

SCOTT HEAVEY/GETTY IMAGES (NEVIN)

FOUR ILLUSTRATIONS