The country authorizes competition between women of the noble art for the first time since the revolution
After allowing boxers to return to a professional career this year, the government of Cuba liberated the practice of the “noble art” for women, who have been barred from wearing gloves since the revolution led by Fidel Castro in 1959.
One of the biggest powers in Olympic boxing in the men’s category, Cuba will be looking to achieve the same success in the women’s category, starting with the Central American Games, in San Salvador, El Salvador, next year.
“Today we make public the authorization of women’s boxing in our country, an important stage in its development,” said Ariel Sainz, vice president of the Cuban sports institute.
The movement to liberalize women’s boxing in Cuba has been championed by celebrities such as Alcides Sagarra, founder of the Cuban boxing school, which has produced stars such as Teófilo Stevenson and Felix Savón.
“Our women should also go to the Tokyo Games. Women’s boxing is practiced all over the world, I don’t know why in Cuba it’s not yet official,” said Sagarra, 85, during the campaign for the liberation of the noble female art on the largest island in the Caribbean.
Cuba has female representation in all sports, including weightlifting, judo, and wrestling. Boxing is the latest sport to break the prejudice barrier in the country. In the history of ‘amateur’ boxing, Cubans have won 80 world titles and 41 Olympic medals.
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Source: Terra
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
