Boxing
Two of the best teams in the World Series of Boxing (WSB) met late Friday in Havana as Cuba Domadores faced Mexico Guerreros. Season IV Champions Cuba had won all of their previous eleven events this season, while the Mexican Franchise was on a six match winning streak. But the Domadores team showed what they are made of after beating Mexico Guerreros 4-1.
With Rio 2016 Olympic Games qualification in sight for those competing in this Friday night event, the concentration levels and hard work was at an all time high.
Ciudad Deportiva Sports Center in Havana was the venue for this Group A clash.
Cuba’s Yosbany Veitia remains the number one ranked Flyweight (52 kg) in WSB, and will qualify for Rio 2016 after defeating Mexico’s Orlando Huitzil Ahuatl.
Cuban Lightweight (60 kg) Lazaro Alvarez's win over Mexico’s William Zepeda Segura ensure him that his destiny remains in his own hands ahead of the last match of the Regular Season.
Welterweight (69 kg) Roniel Iglesias Sotolongo, current Olympic Games gold medalist, had lost two previous WSB matches but this time he beat Mexican contender Héctor Andrés Reyes Anguiano.
Light heavyweight (81 kg) Julio Cesar La Cruz had been one of the most dominant boxers in Season V of WSB after five straight victories, but in Friday's fight his performance on the ring left a lot to be desired loosing the fight to Guerreros' opponent from Ecuador Carlos Mina.
In the last fight of the evening, Super heavyweight (91+ kg) Lenier Eunice Pero delivered convincing punches to beat Mexican contender Edgar Ramirez.
President of Baseball Confederation of the Caribbean in Havana
Juan Francisco Puello, president of the Baseball Confederation of the Caribbean (BCC), held talks on Friday about issues of mutual interest with the Cuban Federation of Baseball (FCB), according the national commissioner Heriberto Suarez.
Suarez said he received Puello in Havana, where he met with Higinio Velez, FCB president.
Puello stated that the joining of Cuba as BCC full member and signing of contracts by Cuban players are issues pending in all negotiations after the participation of Cuba in the last two Caribbean Series, however it is needed a license by the Major League of Baseball (MLB) and the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the United States.
Puello, in favor of Cuba's integration to the BCC, expressed last March his willingness to discuss a possible organization of a Caribbean Series in 2019 or 2020 in Havana.
“We have been talking to lawyers of the major leagues and they are working on that,” Puello said. “The most important thing is that the leagues in the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, México, Puerto Rico desire to fill the void left in the wimter season with Cuban baseball players,” Puello added. Puello attended the sixth game of the finals of the 54th Cuban Baseball Series where Isla de la Juventud beat Ciego de Avila 5-3. Now both teams are forced to play a seventh and final game on Saturday to decide the championship at Jose Ramon Cepero Stadium in Ciego de Avila.
