The growth of Cuban women’s boxing monopolizes a space in the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games

Editor’s note: Press here to visit our special site with all the coverage of the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games.

Santiago, Chile- Cuban boxing, which is recognized worldwide, has just begun to exploit the female branch.

It is striking because among so many Olympic champions that there have been in Cuban sports, this one has not had a female rise to the top of the podium since women’s boxing debuted at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

This is the case, recognized the president of the Cuban Boxing Federation, Alberto Puig, in the boxing tournament of the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games where he has contenders for gold.

But there are reasons to explain why. And there is also a warning to the world that Cuban women’s boxing will be of consideration in the next Pan American Games.

“I can guarantee Puerto Rico, which is our friend, that in the future we must have Cuban women’s boxing”said.

Cuba has four female boxers here. There are six divisions in total.

As explained, Cuban women’s boxing began competing last December after an exhaustive study on the effects of blows on women or the benefits of boxing.

“Cuba has been studying the benefits and effects of integrating women into boxing and after several studies we did in the country and research we consulted, last December we decided to incorporate women into boxing.”Puig explained.

Curiously, in the step of the Puerto Rican Ashleyann Lozada in the 57 kilograms of these Games there is a Cuban. Her name is Legnis Cala and this Monday she advanced to the quarterfinals of the tournament.

Cala and Lozada were finalists in the Central American and Caribbean Games San Salvador 2023 and the Puerto Rican turned out to be the winner.

According to Puig, the first Cuban boxing prospects did not begin their sporting careers in the ring, but rather were located from other sports.

“We have been in women’s boxing for months and these girls who are here were from other sports and joined boxing because they like it. But the future of boxing is not this; The future is now in the sports schools that exist in all the provinces, in the school categories. “What we are going to present at the next Pan American Games is a totally different thing,” Puig said.

Despite the youth of Cuban women’s boxing, Puig said that three fighters have already won medals in Salvador 2023, as is the case of Cala.