Boxing
After a hard-earned break, the Domadores came back in the ring just 12 days ago. Proud of the title achieved in last 4th World Series of Boxing (WSB) the squad coached by Rolando Acebal left for Kazajstan, where they will take on the Astana Arlans in what is billed as a Clash of the Titans.
This match, scheduled for September 9 and 10 in the Daulet Sport Complex, will serve for promoting the 5th WSB starting in January 2015.
The squad, made up by ten boxers qualified for the 2014 Veracruz Central American and Caribbean Games, includes two architects of last year’s triumph. They are World bronze medallist Yosbany Veitía (now in 52 kg) and Erislandy Savón (91); both were unbeaten after eight bouts.
The roster also includes the Olympic champions Robeisy Ramírez (56) and Roniel Iglesias (69), as well as the double World runner-up Lázaro Álvarez (60) and Julio César La Cruz (81). Newcomer Santiago Amador (49), double World silver medallist Yasnier Toledo (64), Arlen López (75) and Yoandy Toirac (+ 91) complete the team.
The C-1 category, including the 49, 56, 64, 75 and 91 kg divisions, will be in action the first day, whilst this Clash of Titans will close one day later with the C-2 for (52, 60, 69, 81 and +91 kg).
Kazakhstan will be reinforced by Croatians Hrvoje Sep (81) and the Super Heavyweight Filip Hrgovic, who beat Cuban José Ángel Larduet last season.
Gymnastics
The Cuban artistic gymnastics team achieved four silver and two bronze medals as well as the qualification for 2015 Toronto Pan American Games in the continental contest to be held in Mississauga, Canada.
Manrique Larduet from Santiago de Cuba stood out among the Cuban athletes winning the silver medals in vault and parallel bars, also as best scorer (89.250) behind Colombian Jossimar Calvo (89.300).
The Cuban female Yesenia Ferrara was also brilliant with a silver medal in vault, and bronze medal in floor exercises. However, Dovelis Elena Torres, could not retain her Pan-American title coming third in vault.
This is the only qualifying tournament for the 2015 Toronto Pan American Games, and the Cuban artistic gymnastics teams reached their goal positioning the women’s team fifth and the men’s team sixth in the standings. The latter were expected to have a better result, but missed the contribution of Youth Olympic champion Ernesto Vila, since he left the delegation before the competition.
In the previous Pan American championship, Cuba finished second with three golds, one silver and two bronze medals, only beaten by Brazil (4-2-3) in the general ranking.
Now, the Cuban gymnasts will be focused on the forthcoming Central American and the Caribbean Games in Veracruz, with Manrique and Yesenia as main figures. Yesenia won four out of the five titles in competition and a bronze medal during the latest Pan American Festival held in Mexico. In that contest, Larduet was established as best scorer winning gold on the parallel bars and the silver medal on the rings.
