Playa Girón National Boxing Tournament to Begin on Thursday

Cuba’s second largest city, Santiago de Cuba, is getting ready to begin the island’s premier boxing tournament of the year, the Playa Giron National Boxing Championship. The competition is divided into provincial teams and begins on

SANTIAGO DE CUBA.— Cuba’s second largest city, Santiago de Cuba, is getting ready to begin the island’s premier boxing tournament of the year, the Playa Giron National Boxing Championship.

The competition is divided into provincial teams and begins on Thursday, Jan 21. Sub-champions Santiago de Cuba is hoping that this will be the year they will knock off the City of Havana, last year’s champs.

But the competition is stiff all around. Last year Havana finished with 47 points, followed by Santiago de Cuba (40), Guantánamo (39), Pinar del Río (22) and Camagüey (16).

And Havana is not taking the challenge lightly, bringing with them fighters who boxed at the 2009 Milan World Championships: Daniel Matellón (48 kilogramos), Yampier Hernández (51 kg), Idel Torriente (60 kg), Rey Eduardo Recio (75 kg) and Osmay Acosta (91 kg). Also boxing for Havana is 2008 Moscow World Cup gold medalist Robert Alfonso.

Santiago has their hopes placed firmly on the shoulders of welterweight Carlos Banteur, silver medalist at Beijing 2008 and José Ángel Larduet (81 kg), world junior champion.

Guantánamo is coming with three current national title holders: Yunior Echevarría (48 kg), Iván Oñate (57 kg) and Marcos Forestal.

Meanwhile Camaguey comes to the ring with world champion Yasniel Toledo (60 kg); and Pinar del Rio brings back Beijing 2008 silver medalist Andry Laffita (51 kg).

The National Boxing Commission will announce the matchups for Playa Giron on Wednesday, and following the competition it will announce the national team that will represent Cuba at the upcoming Central American Games in Puerto Rico.