Cuban boxer Herich Ruiz abandons national delegation before his semifinal fight at Continental Championship

April 3, 2022

Cuban boxer Herich Ruiz, bronze medalist at the 2021 world championship held in Serbia, became the second to desert his country's delegation last Wednesday before his semifinal fight at the Continental Championship being held in the Ecuadorian city of Guayaquil, according to confirmation from the official press.

The boxer's departure followed that of Kevin Brown, former juvenile world champion in 2012, who also abandoned the delegation before the tournament began on March 24. Ruiz, as highlighted by sports newspaper JIT, deserted the team after his weigh-in prior to his fight with American Arjan Iseni. The Cuban Boxing Federation censured the athlete's decision, pointing him out for turning "his back on the commitment assumed for this competition and the plans it involved." BOXING We have to use Spence's aggression in favor of Ugás, says Cuban coach MARCH 30, 2022 12:12 PM Before his desertion, the official press highlighted Ruiz, 86 kilograms, as the main figure among the island's athletes competing in the tournament. Ruiz's case adds to a long list. Just two days ago it was reported that national team sailors Iris Laura Manso and Carlos Miguel Expósito abandoned the team to travel to the U.S. But there have been other departures that have stood out during this same month. On March 10 it was revealed that long jump athlete Lester Lescay Gay, juvenile Olympic champion in 2018, abandoned the island's athletics delegation during a tour in Europe. BOXING Many people underestimate me, but they will see that I still have a lot of gas in the tank, says Yuriorkis Gamboa MARCH 30, 2022 08:45 AM Furthermore, in February the National Canoeing Commission (CNC) reported that Fernando Dayán Jorge, Olympic gold medalist in canoeing at Tokyo 2020, left behind the delegation with which he was going to conduct training in Mexico. Local news has never been more important Subscribe to get unlimited digital access to the important news of your community #YOURLOCALEWEWS The exodus of prominent figures from Cuban sports adds to the trickle of young baseball players who have left the island in recent years with their sights set on Major League Baseball in the United States. The island government itself admits that the number is significant. According to the official newspaper "Trabajadores," a total of 635 baseball players have left the country in the last six years (the figure includes departures with and without state permission).

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