Cuban boxing champions will fight in Managua to qualify for PanAmerican Games
March 26th, 2019 / IBA
The 18th PanAmerican Games will be held in Lima, Peru in end of July. The Qualifier is scheduled to take place in Managua, Nicaragua on April 2-11. The Cuban boxing team will attend the event with their best line-ups including Olympic Champions, AIBA World Champions and WSB Team Champions in Managua.
The best boxers from the Qualification will be able to participate at the top multisport event of the region in Lima this summer. Altogether 32 nations have been registered to the Qualifier event from each region of the American continent.
The head coach of the Cuban national team Mr. Roland Acebal selected his best boxers to participate in Managua and aims to take quota places for Lima. Joining many strong nations the Cuban team will be represented by a maximum number of 10 male boxers.
Their four-time AIBA World Champion and the winner of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games Julio Cesar La Cruz will compete in the light heavyweight (81kg) class in Managua. The 30-year-old boxer had an unexpected KO loss in the Chemistry Cup in Germany last June which raised his motivation to do his best this year.
Andy Cruz claimed gold medal at the Hamburg 2017 AIBA World Boxing Championships and the light welterweight (64kg) star did not lose any contests in the recent three years. The 24-year-old boxer is the favourite for the gold medal in the upcoming PanAmerican Games Qualifier.
Veteran Roniel Iglesias (69 kg) was Olympic Champion in London seven years ago while Arlen Lopez won the title of the middleweight (75kg) at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Both boxers suffered a few losses in the recent two years mainly in the WSB but they are still among the bests in their weight classes.
Cuba’s lightweight (60kg) No.1 Lazaro Alvarez earned only bronze medal in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games but he is three-time AIBA World Champion since 2011. After his injuries Hamburg 2017 AIBA World Champion Yosvany Veitia returned to the national team and will participate in the flyweight (52kg) division.
Erislandy Savon was also a gold medallist of the Hamburg 2017 AIBA World Boxing Championships and he kept his place on the national team. The Cuban team still consist of the WSB Team Champion Damian Arce (49kg), a new sensation at the bantamweight (56kg) Osvel Caballero and AIBA Youth World Champion Dainier Pero who is a newcomer at super heavyweight (+91kg).
