Olympic Champions Lead Cuba's Boxing Team at Central American Qualifier

Olympic champions Julio César La Cruz and Erislandy Álvarez will lead Cuba's boxing delegation at the Central American qualifying tournament, to be held in Guadalajara, Mexico, the team announced Wednesday.

La Cruz, competing at 90 kilograms, and Álvarez, at 65 kg, arrive at the regional competition — scheduled from March 11 through 16 — fresh off their titles at the 45th Copa Independencia de Boxeo, held last week in the Dominican city of Santiago de los Caballeros.

Saidel Horta (60 kilograms), also a winner at that tournament, rounds out a trio of returning champions on a seven-fighter roster under the direction of head coach Eulises Pouyout.

The national squad is completed by Alejandro Claro (55 kg), Yunier Sorsano (70 kg), Keilor García (80 kg), and Fernando Arzola (+90 kg), all united in the collective goal of securing a spot in each weight division for the Central American and Caribbean Games in Santo Domingo.

According to information released by the sports outlet JIT, competitors will vie for 11 qualifying spots in the 55, 60, and 65-kilogram categories, nine in the 70-kilogram division, and seven in the 80, 90, and over-90-kilogram weights.

Cuban boxing will seek to surpass its performance from three years ago in San Salvador, where the team captured two gold medals, two silver medals, and five bronze medals at the Central American edition of the Games, set this time for Santo Domingo from July 24 through August 8.