2024-02-14 19:56:24
Foto Referencial: AKturer | Shutterstock
Text: Editorial Cuba Noticias 360
Legnis Calá and Yaquelín Stornell have the possibility of writing their names in the history of Cuban sports as the first boxers to represent the island in the Olympic Games. Both fighters will be the only Antilleans to participate in the pre-Olympic tournament in Italy at the end of next month, in search of qualification for Paris 2024.
The technical head of women’s boxing in Cuba, Rafael Trejo, declared to international media that the two brand new champions in the first national fight for ladies that was held in the country, will travel to Germany on February 14 to hold a two-week training base until traveling to the contest in the city of Busto Arsizio, from the 29th of that month to March 12.
Calá from Havana, who will fight for one of the two places in dispute in the 57 kilograms, has as her main guarantee silver at the Central American Games in San Salvador 2023. Meanwhile, Stornell from Guantanamo will try to obtain one of the four tickets available at 66 kilos, although to do so he had to lose considerably in weight, since his best result was bronze in the Central Caribbean but at 75.
A little more than a year after having authorized women’s boxing, Cuba recently held the First National Tournament for women, held in the capital’s Rafael Trejo hall, where Santiago de Cuba won the team competition by winning two gold, a silver and a bronze.
The representatives from Havana were very close to the top by also winning two titles and a subtitle, but without third places. Meanwhile, Villa Clara (1-1-1), Guantánamo (1-0-2) and Cienfuegos (0-1-2) also closed with three medals, occupying the positions from third to fifth, for that order.
Only the teams from Sancti Spiritus, Artemisa, Ciego de Ávila and the Isla de la Juventud special municipality were missing from the event, and in total 36 fighters fought in six divisions. The names of Karen L. Cantillo (50 kg), Dayana Núñez (SCU, 54), Legnis Cala (57), Melani de la Caridad Girado (60), Yaquelín Estornell (66) and Dayira Mesa (75) will pass go down in history as the first national monarchs of women’s boxing in Cuba.
The sport of fists for decades has been the island’s main stronghold in major multi-sport events, with a highlight for the Olympic Games, in which it has won 41 gold metals, of the 84 in general that Cuba has won in those great events. Now, women’s boxing could become another valuable asset of the so-called “Flagship†of Cuban sport.