( CNN ) -- Ever since the Cuban Revolution more than 50 years ago , athletes on the communist island have been able to garner gold medals and glory , but not big paychecks . In a shift , the Cuban government says it will allow its athletes to play professionally abroad , ostensibly to shore up the competitiveness of its national teams . But it can not be overlooked that lucrative contracts for Cuban athletes abroad would benefit the state through taxation . Whether the new policy , announced through state media on Friday , will open a floodgate of talented Cuban athletes to the United States will have to be seen . Several obstacles stand to limit how much freedom athletes will actually have . The new policy will be implemented in the coming months , the state-run Granma newspaper reported . It follows an earlier opening by the Cuban government to let its boxers compete in the World Series of Boxing , a semipro league . Pugilistic passions stir in Cuba . Limits faced by athletes . Until now , defection has been the common path for Cuban athletes who want to compete abroad . Los Angeles Dodgers ' star Yasiel Puig , for instance , defected from Cuba in 2012 and signed a seven-year , $ 42 million contract . There are others in Cuban sports history who have left millions on the table to remain loyal and compete for their government . The late boxer Teofilo Stevenson , a three-time Olympic gold medal winner , passed up a rich offer to fight Muhammad Ali . But Stevenson did not appear to have any regrets about his decision to turn down a big payday by staying amateur . `` What is $ 1 million compared to the love of 8 million Cubans ? '' he famously declared . Top Cuban athletes can make a few hundred dollars a month on the island . They stand to make much more with the coming changes . Cuban travel reform a home run for baseball star who defected . New policy . The opening of opportunities to make money abroad seems like a recognition of the lucrative market for athletes , but Granma explained it as an affirmation of Karl Marx 's slogan : `` From each according to his ability , to each according to his need . '' Whatever foreign pro-sports contracts athletes may sign , they will still be required to be in Cuba for the key national team competitions , according to Granma . Cuba has traditionally produced strong boxers and baseball players , and even though this policy will open doors to competing anywhere abroad , the United States stands to be the biggest attraction . There is no guarantee , however , that the Cuban players who take advantage of this policy will see that sought-after American contract . The first problem is the U.S. embargo on Cuba , a policy that isolates Cuba economically and financially . The Cuban government envisions its athletes paying taxes on money earned anywhere abroad , but if that money is made in the United States , sending it to the communist nation would violate a longstanding economic embargo , a U.S. official familiar with its enforcement told CNN . In practice , Cuban athletes are more likely to end up in leagues in countries other than the United States . Baseball is king in Cuba , and Major League Baseball would be a coveted destination for many Cuban athletes . The league is aware of reports about the new Cuban policy , but said in a statement that `` given that we do not have any details of this change in policy , it would be premature for us to speculate what effect it may have . '' Major League Baseball `` and its clubs have and will continue to act in accordance with the laws and policies of the United States Government , '' the statement said . Another hurdle for athletes is the migration reform that went into effect in Cuba this year that still requires athletes to seek government approval to travel abroad . With this restriction in place , the government maintains control over which athletes it trusts to seek contracts abroad . Still , initial reaction was positive . `` If that happened , it 's good for the people of Cuba , '' Osvaldo Alonso of the Major League Soccer team Sounders FC told The Seattle Times . Alonso defected from Cuba in 2007 . `` They can play anywhere and show they have good ( athletes ) , '' Alonso told the Times . `` I 'm very happy for them that they 're giving them opportunities to play in other countries and to be professionals in other leagues . '' In 2012 : The secrets to Cuba 's boxing success .
Cuba says it will allow athletes to play professionally abroad . Before , Cuban athletes were not allowed to go pro . It could allow for big opportunities for some , but challenges may prevent that .