Jorge Soto from Holguín fell in the final bout against Arlen López from Guantanamo and finished second in the 81 kilograms category of the Playa Girón National Boxing Tournament, which concluded this Sunday at the Yayabo Hall in the province of Sancti Spíritus.
Facing a superior opponent as a double Olympic champion, Soto, a native of the municipality of Cueto, Holguin province, showed the combativeness that characterized him throughout the tournament and provoked an exchange of blows that required Arlen to make the most of his repertoire to take the best part and reach nine national crowns.
In addition to Jorge Soto’s bronze medal, the Holguin squad added the bronzes of Carlos Aguilera (96 kg) and Ramon de la Torre (92 kg), the latter losing in the semifinals to Julio Cesar la Cruz, who was crowned for the fourteenth time and reached Felix Savon (Guantanamo) at the top of the most winners of the highest Cuban boxing competition.
Playa Giron Tournament Medalists, Cuba
Ramón de la Torre, third from left to right. Photo: Taken from Jit
Both De la Torre and Aguilera will be summoned to join the national boxing draft, in recognition of their rising performances and will join Soto and Jairo Munive (69 kg).
Among the provinces, Sancti Spíritus excelled with 37 units, ahead of Cienfuegos (36) and Camagüey (29), in second and third place, in that order. Holguín finished in sixth place.
Wilber Rodríguez Vera’s statistics show that the Playa Girón Tournament’s Honor Roll was as follows.
Most Technical boxer: Arlen López (GTM)
Most Combative boxer: Jorge Cuellar (SSP)
Best Bout: the final bout of Yosbany Veitía (SSP) and Saidel Horta (CFG).
Best Trainer: Justo Díaz (SSP)
Best Referee: José Sánchez (CFG)
Top 10 in Titles won in the history of the “Playa Girón”:
1- Félix Savon (13)
1- Julio Cesar la Cruz (13)
3- Roniel Iglesias (12)
4- Adolfo Horta (11)
4- Teófilo Stevenson (11)
6- Yosbany Veitía (10)
6- Lorenzo Aragón (10)
8- Juan Hernández (9)
8- Arlen López (9)
10- Calendario Duvergel (8)
10- Enrique Carrion (8)
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