The Cuban boxing team’s performance at the beginning of the boxing competition of the XIX Pan American Games was marked by two victories and one setback, according to forecasts.
The initial success came after the weigh-in, when it was known that the Dominican Jno Charles Delroy would not show up for his morning duel with the subtitle of the orb Fernando Arzola, in the division of more than 92 kilograms.
The other outcomes were part of the afternoon session at the Olympic Training Center of Ñuñoa, where Arianne Imbert (66 kg) could not turn into a victory the debut of a Cuban in these contests, and the silver medalist Saidel Horta (57) showed his credentials.
It was impossible for Imbert to get even with the Dominican Maria Altagracia Moronta, who overcame her after three counts in the initial act as a repetition of the dominance with which she won the bronze medal in the Central Caribbean event in San Salvador.
Horta knew he was facing the challenge that always brings the Mexican claw, but he handled the fight well and celebrated a 5-0 decision over Manuel Vega to start a path that in his next outing will put him in front of the man who took him out of the competition in the Salvadoran capital.
“I concentrated on the work oriented from the corner, sure of the quality of the preparation, technical, physical and psychological”, said the universal runner-up before explaining that the impossibility of reaching the podium in the Central Caribbean competition became a special motivation for him.
Asked about the approach defined for his debut, he accepted that speed and precision with straight shots were a key combination to make his goals come true.
“I kept the equanimity to do my boxing without getting desperate, and so I was able to dominate the three rounds”, said the boy, who will seek a rematch against the Colombian Yilmar Gonzalez, who defeated him on his way to the Central American and Caribbean Games title.
This Saturday will be the debut of double Olympic gold medalist Julio Cesar La Cruz (92 kg), who is expected to beat American Jamar Talley, bronze medalist in the Strandzha tournament last February, and Jakelin Stornell (75 kg) will face Mexican Vanessa Ortiz.
