Cuba’s 17 and 18-year-old boxers just completed their best performance of the season at the World Juniors Championship being held in Agadir, Moroco.

MIGUEL HERNANDEZ

The World Junior Boxing Championships took place from September 8 to 18. More than 250 young boxers from 60 countries took part in 11 weight categories.

Winning five gold and one silver medal with a team of six boxers was just about perfect.

Local aficionados pointed out that Cuba only presented six fighters while other boxing powers, like Russia, presented a complete lineup with boxers in all the weight categories.

When considering that boxing is the Olympic sport that helps catapult Cuba into the upper levels of the medal charts at the Olympics, the question arises, why take only six boxers?

Cub’s boxing tradition, the competitive experience of our youth and the ability of our trainers is the secret to our victories; a greater effort should be made to send fighters in all weight categories.

Agadir, Morocco is the stage to see the future medalists of the 2012 London Olympic Games. It is also important to present boxers in all weight divisions so that the referees become familiar with our champions of tomorrow.

Each of our young boxers has benefited from over 100 fights against top Cuban athletes. These included Rosniel Iglesias of Pinar del Rio who won gold in Morocco after having won the national championship (all ages) and becoming a member of the Cuban national boxing team.

Cuba’s six medal winners in Morocco were Alexei Collado (48kg), Yordan Frometa (57kg), Rosniel Iglesias (60kg), Julio Cesar Iglesias (69kg), Luis Enrique Garica (75kg), and runner-up Alberto Portuondo (51kg).

Source: Granma