Orlandito Martínez, Cuba's first Olympic boxing champion, has passed away

September 24, 2021

Orlando Martínez Romero, Cuba's first Olympic boxing champion in Munich 1972 who filled an entire decade and captivated boxing fans on the island with his ring skills, passed away at the age of 75.

He was never Orlando, always Orlandito, the young man who rose to Olympic glory in Munich-1972, defeating Mexican Alfonso Zamora unanimously in the 54 kg final.

Orlandito battled Alzheimer's in the final years of his life, and although the disease ultimately overcame him, his gallant legacy in the world of the 12-rope sport will remain undefeated, inscribed in golden letters in the history of amateur boxing.

He leaves undefeated and proud, just as when he climbed, in the early years of the Revolution, to the hills of the Sierra Maestra, for he always wanted to be one of the champions of the youth movement Cinco Picos.

Left-handed, with great foot speed to strike at his opponent's anatomy, when Orlandito was in his physical prime he was difficult to beat. He was a faithful defender of the style that the Cuban boxing school has imposed for more than 50 years.

In addition to the Olympic medal, the fighter from the Juanelo neighborhood in the capital won several gold medals, such as the one from the Mexico-1975 Pan American Games, as well as being national champion on several occasions and in the Giraldo Córdova Cardín International Boxing Championship.

Orlandito's passing cannot be assimilated as a defeat. The enormous quality shown throughout his boxing career places him among the iconic figures of the sport that has brought the most international laurels to Cuba. His left hand will always be raised in a sign of victory for giving us a gold that marked a before and after in the Cuban sports movement.