Returned cuban boxers tell all
- Submitted by: admin
- Sports
- 08 / 11 / 2007
Cuban boxers Guillermo Rigondeaux and Erislandy Lara gave details in Havana, published Thursday, about their abandonment of their country's delegation to the recent Pan American Games in Brazil.
In an interview with journalist Julia Osendi, of Granma, they asserted that a German citizen, other of Cuban origin, who they identified as Alexis, and two Brazilians pressured them to not return to the competition.
According to Lara, they offered them excessive food and drinks, so much that it made us ill, and "they invited us to a cabaret and brought us women. We went to an island there with them, to a beach."
He said that at the beach they began to propose that they go to Germany to box as professionals, guaranteeing they would become millionaires, and Lara said he was shown around 100,000 euros.
They continuously refused to accept the proposal, repeating they would like to return to Cuba, "Because we are people of the Revolution," and then the German and the Cubans left them with the Brazilians, a situation that the boxers took advantage of to ask some fishermen to tell the police.
He asked the Cuban people to trust them, and called on young athletes to respect discipline at all times.
Rigondeaux asserted they were willing to do whatever was necessary, "because we are already in our homeland, with the Revolution, and we have to pay for the crime committed."
After repeating the details given by Lara of the incident in Brazil, Rigondeaux said he and his family have been treated very well, and he felt welcomed upon his arrival to his country.
This is a very serious indiscipline. I very much regret it, and what hurts me most is not having reached my Pan American championship title, because I am one of the athletes with greatest responsibility in this Revolution," he said.
Rigodeaux said they never signed a contract with those who offered them large sums of money if they deserted and went to Germany to box, and that they repeated their desire to return to Cuba, although they were told they would be severely punished.
What I have to say to young athletes is that discipline is very important, and they cannot let themselves be carried away by anything.
You can see what has happened to us, he said.
Source: Prensa Latina.
In an interview with journalist Julia Osendi, of Granma, they asserted that a German citizen, other of Cuban origin, who they identified as Alexis, and two Brazilians pressured them to not return to the competition.
According to Lara, they offered them excessive food and drinks, so much that it made us ill, and "they invited us to a cabaret and brought us women. We went to an island there with them, to a beach."
He said that at the beach they began to propose that they go to Germany to box as professionals, guaranteeing they would become millionaires, and Lara said he was shown around 100,000 euros.
They continuously refused to accept the proposal, repeating they would like to return to Cuba, "Because we are people of the Revolution," and then the German and the Cubans left them with the Brazilians, a situation that the boxers took advantage of to ask some fishermen to tell the police.
He asked the Cuban people to trust them, and called on young athletes to respect discipline at all times.
Rigondeaux asserted they were willing to do whatever was necessary, "because we are already in our homeland, with the Revolution, and we have to pay for the crime committed."
After repeating the details given by Lara of the incident in Brazil, Rigondeaux said he and his family have been treated very well, and he felt welcomed upon his arrival to his country.
This is a very serious indiscipline. I very much regret it, and what hurts me most is not having reached my Pan American championship title, because I am one of the athletes with greatest responsibility in this Revolution," he said.
Rigodeaux said they never signed a contract with those who offered them large sums of money if they deserted and went to Germany to box, and that they repeated their desire to return to Cuba, although they were told they would be severely punished.
What I have to say to young athletes is that discipline is very important, and they cannot let themselves be carried away by anything.
You can see what has happened to us, he said.
Source: Prensa Latina.
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