Pacquiao and Klitschko Could Face Cubans in Rio

(ATR) Cuba will not oppose the International Boxing Association (AIBA) proposal to allow professional boxers in the Rio 2016 Olympic boxing tournament. Click here to read this story in Spanish.

Cuban Boxing Federation president and AIBA executive Alberto Puig de la Barca tells Around the Rings that Cuba is "still evaluating" the idea that is set to be approved at an extraordinary congress on June 1 in Lausanne, Switzerland.

"Cuba is in favor of a united boxing federation, with the inclusion of all, but within the rules and regulations of AIBA and always with the respect of the national federations in each case. Cuba will not put the integrity of its boxers in danger and will not oppose who participates or who wins the Olympic Games," he tells ATR.

"If this reform is approved we will face quality boxers at a higher worldwide level and experience, but in three rounds our athletes can put up a fight," Cuban Olympic boxing coach Rolando Acebal tells ATR.

Acebal spoke with ATR at the conclusion of the World Series of Boxing (WSB) tournament at the Sports City Coliseum where Cuba defeated the China Dragons 5 to 0. Cuba advanced to the quarter-finals taking place April 21-22 where it will take on the Mexico Warriors.

Cuba has traditionally performed well in boxing at the Olympics and is predicting three gold medals at the Rio 2016 Games. However, gold medal aspirations could be more difficult with professional boxers such as Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines and Wladimir Klitschko of Ukraine also in the tournament.

"Yes, it could make our forecast a little more difficult," Acebal conceded, "because it is not the same to face a fighter who Cubans are accustomed to seeing in World Series of Boxing events rather than a fighter such as Pacquiao who they would be sharing a ring with for the first time. It’s not the same."

"But," he added, "our boxers compete in many international events with the format of three rounds and dominate more in that volume of work than the professionals who fight 10 to 12 rounds."

Some boxing experts tell ATR that Rio 2016 could be the last Olympic tournament in which three rounds are used instead of five, a change likely to come at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

The AIBA extraordinary congress where the professional boxing proposal will be discussed will also determine how professional boxers would be added to the tournament. Since many of the qualification tournaments have already taken place, some have suggested using five wild card spots for interested professionals.

"It is a policy of the International Olympic Committee to have the best athletes in the Games and AIBA is probably the only one who does not have professional athletes in the Olympics," says AIBA president C.K. Wu.

Boxing is considered the "flagship" sport for Cuba in the Olympics as the country often climbs the final medal table as a result of strong performances in the boxing tournaments. In Barcelona in 1992, Cuba finished fifth in the medal count after earning seven golds in boxing on the last day of the Games.

Despite the country’s recent women’s equality campaign, Cuban authorities have yet to allow women to compete in boxing, a discipline that was added to the Olympics at the London 2012 Games. There is speculation that Cuban women will be allowed to compete in the World Series of Boxing in 2017.

Written by Miguel Hernandez and translated by Kevin Nutley

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