Text: Editorial Cuba Noticias 360
Photo: RL Hevia
For the first time in more than five decades, Cuban boxing will attend the Olympic Games with fewer than seven fighters. With the elimination of Jorge Cuéllar in the last qualifying tournament in Bangkok, Thailand, the “flagship” of the Caribbean island in summer events will not bring a full team to Paris 2024 and can now only hope to qualify six wrestlers.
The Antillean representative of the 71 kilograms fell this Saturday by unanimous decision of 0-5 against the Irishman Aidan Walsh in one of the repechage fights for the last place in that division. It was the second consecutive defeat for the middleweight from Sancti Spiritus after losing the day before against the Polish Damián Durkacz, with the same slate.
Cuéllar became the second Cuban exponent to be eliminated in the Thai capital, since the Guantanamo-born Yakelín Estornell lost on Thursday with the Canadian Sara Kali on the way for a place in the 66 kilos, and could not transcend as the first woman Cuban to agree to a summer event in the sport of fists.
The one who did get his ticket to the Parisian competition was Erislandy Alvárez from Cienfuegos, who defeated the Kazakh Bazarbay Mukhammedsaby with a 3-2 vote and secured one of the five passports distributed in the lightweight division (63.5 kilograms).
Of the four Caribbean boxers who traveled to Bangkok, the super heavyweight Fernando Arzola is still alive, needing a third victory to achieve the long-awaited Olympic visa. The 92 kilo boxer debuted on Wednesday with a 5-0 success against the Mexican Javier Cruz, and today he dispatched the Mongolian Byeknur Khali with the same result.
The next presentation of the Pan American bronze medal in 2023 is scheduled for this Sunday against the Ecuadorian Gerlon Congo, who did not advance beyond the quarterfinals in that continental event in the Chilean capital. If he wins, Arzola would become the sixth and last Cuban boxing qualifier for the Olympic Games next summer.
Regardless of what happens, it will be the second consecutive summer event to which Cuba will not attend with representation in all the categories called, despite the notable reduction of divisions compared to other years. Likewise, the outlook seems even more complicated following the almost complete renewal of the boxing squad with respect to Tokyo 2020.
In the Japanese capital, the “Tamers” competed in seven of the eight divisions in contention, taking a magnificent haul of four titles and a bronze, which catapulted the Caribbean delegation to 14th place in the medal table by country. However, only the experienced Julio César La Cruz and Arlen López will repeat that team, seeking to climb to the top of the podium for the third time under the five rings.
In the case of Roniel Iglesias, monarch in the now uncalled 69 kilos, he was left out of this cycle, while Andy Cruz, holder of the 63, left the island two years ago and is currently working in professional boxing. His replacement is the until now last classified Erislandy Álvarez.
Nor will three-time bronze medalist Lázaro Álvarez, Yosbany Veitía from Sancti Spiritus and Dainer Peró from Camagüey, whose places in the featherweight, flyweight and super heavyweight, respectively, were occupied by Saidel Horta, Alejandro Claro and Fernando Arzola, the latter still pending Olympic ticket. And finally, the new 71 kilo division was left vacant with the recent elimination of Cuéllar.
