A strong 11-member Cuban boxing team is taking part in the American Youth Continental Championships in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and the Caribbean nation is expecting to take home at least 6 to 7 gold medals.
The best American boxing nations are competing in the event that started yesterday, the 21st of February. The Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Canada, Ecuador, Argentina, Brazil and Colombia will have to wait till the finals on Saturday to see which team will win the most medals.
As the Cuban coaches said, "this youth team is the best we have ever seen" and in a country where boxing is the most popular sport, the athletes are virtuosos - some say this is due to the Cuban dances that have similar footwork to that in boxing. The whole population is only 11 million, but at least five percent has been an athlete or is currently a boxer as well.
The championships is more important than ever before now that it is the best chance for the American boxers to prepare for the AIBA Youth World Championships which will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan in April. This AIBA event is the only qualifying one for the 1st Youth Olympic Games in Singapore later this year.
The Cuban Men's National Championships, also known as Playa Giron, was held in January in Santiago de Cuba where the country's youth boxers competed in excellent form, getting fantastic results among the senior boxers. Their results promise great success in the continental championships.
Noelvis Veitia, 18-years-old, (48kg) and Yuniel Saul Castro (+91kg) acquired valuable silver medals at the 2010 Playa Giron. Veitia was defeated by AIBA World Championships quarterfinalist Daniel Matellon in the lowest category, while Castro was beaten by Beijing Olympian Robert Alfonso in the heaviest weight class.
Leinier Perot, 18-years-old, (91kg) claimed his second bronze medal at the Playa Giron among senior boxers and his teammate 17-year-old Robeisy Ramirez (51kg) also won the bronze in the same tournament. In 2009, Yunior Valdez (57kg) and Arlen Lopez (60kg) were gold medalists in the AIBA Junior World Championships last year where Samuel Saul Rodriguez (64kg) claimed a silver medal.
The Cuban team also included 17-year-old American Junior Champion and Cuban Junior National Games winner Yunior Ribalta (54kg), 18-year-old Hector Boloy (69kg), Irosvany Duvergel (75kg) and Frank Sanchez (81kg).
With so many titleholders competing in the American Youth Continental Championships, the Cuban coaches might not be disappointed in the finals on Saturday, but with many strong contenders from other nations, the results remain to be seen.
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