The selection of' Las Tunas' best athletes during 2025 puts an end to a year of sacrifice, dedication, and triumph. The list includes individual names and feats that are already part of the territory's history. After the traditional vote by specialists from the Provincial Sports Directorate, these are the faces and teams that shone brightly.

Las Tunas, Cuba.– Yander Herrera Machín was selected as Male Athlete of the Year after an exceptional season in athletics. His achievements include a gold medal at the Pan American U-23 Championships with a competition record, titles in the 110-meter hurdles and the 200-meter dash at the Jesús Molina National Championships, a victory at a top-level meeting in Russia, recording 13.37 seconds, the eighth best in the world for U-20 athletes, and another gold medal at the Barrientos Memorial.

In the women's category, the award went to archer Elaimis García, who won bronze at the Junior Pan American Games in Asunción, Paraguay, and added six medals: one gold, one silver, and four bronze at the 2025 Youth Olympics.

Baseball and the Las Tunas Lumberjacks dominated the collective awards, with the former being named the best in the collective category and the latter as Team of the Year. The Las Tunas baseball team made history by becoming the first to qualify for consecutive finals in both the National Series and the Elite League. Representing Cuba, they were fourth in the Tournament of the Americas in Nicaragua and second place in the Champions League in Mexico City. The strategy behind this success also received recognition: Abeysi Pantoja was chosen as Coach of the Year.

The best players in team sports were catcher Yosvani Alarcón and softball player Rosángela Jardines Castillo. The first, after being champion, leading in batting average, hits, and runs scored, and MVP of the 63rd National Series, participated with the Leñadores in international exhibitions and tournaments. Jardines Castillo, meanwhile, won a Pan American bronze medal and was a key player in Cuba's qualification for the Central American and Caribbean Games, the Lima 2027 Pan American Games, and a stage of the 2026 World Cup. Cycling deserved special mention for its progress toward excellence, with the National Championship in the School Games, a seventh-place finish in the National Youth Games, and a fifth-place overall ranking.

The list of the ten best athletes included Diana Leyva (modern pentathlon), Aldo Castell (basketball), Ricardo Polo (soccer), Reynaldo Espinosa (athletics), Eliannis C. Olivera (boxing), Yordanis Alarcón, Roberto S. Baldoquín, Keniel Ferraz, and Alberto P. Civil (baseball).

Others who stood out were Dairon M. Suárez (Rookie of the Year), Claudia Basilia Tarín Alarcón (Athlete with a Contract Abroad), and Para-Athlete of the Year, Ever Castro Martínez, who broke his personal record and set a new Americas record in javelin throw at the World Championships in New Delhi. Other outstanding para-athletes included Aarón Marrero and Zaydamis Márquez.

November 19 became a truly sports fiesta to celebrate Physical Culture and Sports Day.

The Event of the Year was the recent celebration in Las Tunas of the main national activities for the Physical Culture and Sports Day.

Yander Herrera Machín and Marian Yanet López Guisao were recognized as the best youth athletes. Luis Javier Sánchez, Yohana Hernández Ramos, Elaimis García Ramos, Yailen Díaz Pérez, Dairon Michel Suárez, and Luis Adrián Chávez were also recognized in this category.

Those who excel in training and support programs also received recognition. They were Yolexlys Merino Avilés (Best Physical Education Teacher), Damichel Santana Arnedo (Best Activist), Alina Acanda Cruz (Best Community Physical Activity Teacher), Leodan Salgado Rondón (Best Physical Recreation Teacher), and Rafael Torres Álvarez (Best Referee, in triathlon).