Two Cuban boxers leave delegation, skip fights
Associated Press
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil --
Cuba's two-time Olympic boxing champion Guillermo Rigondeaux and a
teammate left the athletes village and did not show up for their
scheduled fights at the Pan American Games on Sunday.
Rigondeaux failed to make the weigh-in for his quarterfinal bout against
Mexico's Carlos Cuadras in the bantamweight division, while Erislandy
Lara didn't appear for his fight against Jamaica's Ricardo Smith in the
welterweight division.
''They left the village and haven't returned,'' said Pedro Roque, coach
and chief of Cuba's boxing delegation, stressing that it was all he knew.
He learned about the boxer's absence Sunday morning, but would not
comment on whether they had deserted.
''Everything is possible in life,'' he said.
Bienvenido Solano of the Dominican Republic, a technical director for
the boxing competitions, earlier said the boxers ``didn't show up for
the weigh-in, we don't know why.''
Both fighters were disqualified and their opponents advanced to the
semifinals.
Rigondeaux holds the dual titles of Olympic and world champion in the
bantamweight class. He also won the Olympic gold in 2000. Rigondeaux
became Cuba's top competitive boxer with the retirement of Mario
Kindelan in 2004, and was looking for his third Pan Ams title.
Last year, Cuban Olympic boxing champions Yan Barthelemy, Yuriolski
Gamboa and Odlanier Solis deserted during a trip to practice in
Venezuela. They fled to Colombia and then signed contracts with German
promoters in Miami.
The three won Olympic golds in Athens and were favored to repeat their
titles in Beijing next year.
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