By José Alejandro Rodríguez Zas
Cuban boxing has been in the news in recent days, since the preselection of 26 fighters who are already preparing for the next World Boxing Championship, which will be held in Belgrade, Serbia, from October 26 to November 6.
Finally, the Cuban squad will be made up of a total of 13 boxers, who will have the mission of keeping Cuba at the top of the discipline worldwide.
Regarding this event, precisely, it also emerged that “the International Boxing Association (AIBA) will have a fund of 2.6 million dollars (at a rate of 200 thousand dollars for each division) to reward all the medalists”, with a descending distribution enter the total that the champion, runner-up and bronze winners will receive, according to we inform on our website.
Above all this issue, which undoubtedly increases the interest of our fighters in having a good result in the tournament, public Today a note on the Jit digital site, explaining the difficulties that Cuba may have in receiving the awards it reaches, due to the economic sanctions imposed by the United States against the Greater Antilles.
“The Economic, Commercial and Financial Blockade sustained by the United States usually turns into an ordeal what others solve with simple bank transfers and it is unfortunately proven that in our case it is not the same to earn money than to have it,” said the note.
In addition, a series of events that occurred in the most recent history of Cuban sport are listed, in which Cuba has not received the money earned in the events mentioned or, instead, to donate it to the corresponding international federations, to give it some use.
“The Cuban Baseball Federation needed to file in the bank account of the international federation more than one million dollars from the right to train athletes hired in Japan,” explained the Jit publication.
Similarly, similar reasons “made it impossible for the Cuban Football Association to enter 887 thousand 513.78 dollars accumulated since 2014,” for which serious difficulties are predicted for Cuban boxers to receive the metal prizes that they could win in the World Cup.
On the issue of payment to athletes, perhaps to avoid comments on social networks, the aforementioned note explained that, for several years, in Cuba there has been a mechanism that manages the income obtained by this type of event, which is “totally destined to athletes, coaches and other specialists closely linked to the performances that originate them.
Although it is not specified what rank these specialists are and if they provide sports, moral support or simply serve as inspiration to later dedicate medals, achievements and titles, it is very good to know that part of that money that AIBA pays, will reach the pocket, some time, of the true protagonists: the athletes and their coaches.