Cuban wrestling great Gustavo Rolle Fernández has passed away at the age of 78 ©UWW

Cuban wrestling great Gustavo Rolle Fernández has passed away at the age of 78.

According to Radio Rebelde, he suffered a sudden breakdown of his health.

Rolle Fernández, an honorary member of the United World Wrestling (UWW) Hall of Fame, devoted much of his life to the development of wrestling in Cuba. 

After his competitive wrestling career was cut short by injury, Rolle Fernández served as head coach of Cuba's national freestyle wrestling team from 1965 until 1982.

Gustavo Rolle Fernández was an honorary member of the UWW Hall of Fame ©UWW
Gustavo Rolle Fernández was an honorary member of the UWW Hall of Fame ©UWW

He then took over as President of the Cuban Wrestling Federation, a position he held until 2008.

Rolle Fernández also served as director of national high performance and President of the Pan-American Wrestling Committee from 1990 to 1995, and a UWW Bureau member and head of the science and technical department from 1995 to 2012.

He was appointed a UWW Bureau honorary member in 2014.

Rolle Fernández is the creator of the Granma y Cerro Pelado tournament, an annual international wrestling event held in Cuba's capital Havana.