Cuba will complete its build up for the 1st AIBA World Youth Championships in Guadalajara, Mexico later this month with an exchange with four other countries - Spain, Colombia, El Salvador and the Philippines in Havana.

Team leader Humberto Horta says the exchange will give Cuba the perfect preparation for what will be an excellent tournament, which runs from October 25-November 1, for boxers aged 17 and 18.

"Recently we had a very fruitful stay in Russia with 44 of their top boxers, including those that will participate in the world championships, and that allowed us to confirm our options in the various weight categories," Horta said. "We took advantage of the excellent conditions of the training centre to concentrate on sparring and conditioning."

With boxers in each of the 11 divisions, Cuba is looking to repeat its excellent performance in the last Under-19 World Championships, which were held in Agadir, Morocco in 2006 where it won five gold medals. Cuba's hottest prospects include middleweight Rey Eduardo Recio, light welterweight Frank Isla and bantamweight Lázaro Álvarez.

Russia, with two gold, and Morocco, Ukraine, Hungary and Romania, who won one gold each, were the other countries represented on the gold medal Dias in 2006.

The 1st AIBA World Youth Championships replaces the AIBA Junior World Championships which was held 14 times from 1979 to 2006. Cuba has topped the AIBA Junior World Championships team rankings nine times in which time it collected 62 gold, 18 silver and 22 bronze medals.