Havana, October 19 (JIT)-- This Thursday the Cuban boxing squad will have three of its exponents in competition, at the beginning of the boxing tournament of the XIX Pan American Games. It is worth a first approach to what the draw left for the Caribbean team.
Given its mission to provide the belts in a fight where the women will debut at this level with a more reserved prognosis, due to the demands to be faced and the little experience they accumulate, the analysis focuses on the men's armada.
To this end, JIT spoke with its head coach, Rolando Acebal, who agreed to share the criteria discussed within his technical team, especially with regard to the men most responsible for the task.
In that sense, the strategist ratified that Julio César La Cruz (92 kg), Arlen López (80 kg), Lázaro Álvarez (63.5 kg) and Fernando Arzola (+92) are apt to assume that role, "with real possibilities of reaching the final and obtaining the gold medals".
Julio debuts this Friday against American Jamar Talley, bronze medalist in the Strandzha tournament last February, Lázaro on Sunday against Canadian Wyaat Sanfor, third in the continental competition of 2022, and Arlen on Saturday against Ecuadorian Abel Mina.
Arzola will fight on the opening day, as the opponent of the Dominican Jno Charles, number three in the Central Caribbean party, but lacking the resources to generate concerns.
Also this Thursday will fight Saidel Horta (57 kg) against Mexico's Miguel Vega, in search of advancing to a possible rematch at the expense of Colombia's Yilmar Gonzalez, king in the XXIV Central American and Caribbean Games of San Salvador 2023, where he was his victim.
"He is in good shape and we hope he takes another step towards his definitive consecration", commented Acebal, who also praised the rise of Jorge Cuellar (71 kg), to whom Sunday will give him the possibility of revenge against the Mexican Marco Verde, his tormentor for the scepter in the Salvadoran capital.
"He can do it, according to the progression he has shown, although he has to fight without mistakes", said the specialist about the boy who could later meet the U.S. 67 kg world runner-up in 2021, Omari Jones.
Another representative of that country and universal runner-up two years ago, Roscoe Hill, will be the hard obstacle to overcome on Saturday for Alejandro Claro (51 kg), for whom the road ahead seems to be full of obstacles.
So much so that if he succeeds, he will almost certainly cross blows with the Colombian Olympic silver medalist in Tokyo 2020, Yuberjén Martínez.
The above is just a review of the initial stages reserved for a cast that has in Julio, Lázaro and Arlen its only repeaters of the previous edition, in which all of them paid tribute to the harvest of eight crowns held then.
By the way, it should be pointed out that among the challengers of the latter is Robby Gonzales, American champion of the 2021 orb, whom I would only see in the grand finale.
That's all for now. Just remember that in addition to Arzola and Horta, Arianne Imbert (66 kg) will be fighting today, called to fight against the Dominican Maria Altagracia Moronta, who limited her to bronze in El Salvador.
