U.S. government
denies visas
to its boxers
THE U.S. government has refused travel permits to
its boxing team, whose members were hoping to
compete in the 3rd Cuban Olympiad, according to
Sarbelio Fuentes, chief trainer of the island’s
national selection.
"We have just received the news that the U.S.
selection of nine boxers has not received
authorization to compete in our Olympiad," said
Fuentes, as AFP reports.
Cuba is to compete with its Olympic and World
champions in disciplines such as athletics, diving,
judo and wrestling. Baseball is not to have its own
tournament because the dates coincide with the final
phase of the National Series.
The participating countries are the Bahamas,
Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, the Dominican
Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guadalupe,
Guatemala, India, the Virgin Islands, Kazakhstan,
Mexico, Nicaragua, Russia, Surinam, Trinidad and
Tobago, Venezuela and Cuba.
The first edition of the Cuban Olympiad was in
December 2002, after the island authorities decided
to withdraw athletes from the Central American and
Caribbean Games in El Salvador when the government
of that country was unable to guarantee the island
delegation’s security.
