14ymedio, Havana, 30 March 2022 — Cuban boxer Herich Ruiz landed the second hook to the regime’s liver. The athlete escaped “after the weigh-in for his fight” against the American Arjan Iseni. The news has been confirmed by the Cuban Boxing Federation, Domadores de Cuba published on Facebook. The team from the Island is participating in the Continental Championship that is held in the Ecuadorian city of Guayaquil.
The bronze medalist at the World Boxing Championships in Serbia 2021 was reprimanded, as is common by sports authorities when defections occur. They point to him for “turning his back on the commitment assumed for this competition and the plans that involved him.”
Ruiz’s escape is the second hook to the liver received by the Domadores de Cuba team. The first to leave the official delegation was the junior world champion in Yerevan, Armenia in 2012, Kevin Brown Bazain. His escape took place during the journey to Ecuador.
Ruiz had been chosen by the president of the Cuban Boxing Federation, Alberto Puig de la Barca, as the team’s representative at the Guayaquil Pan-American, which also means the island’s first international participation in 2022.
The native of Isla de la Juventud, a competitor in the 86-kilogram category, was one of the benchmarks to follow. Cubans Damián Arce (54 kg), Erislán Romero (51 kg) and Rafael Joubert (60 kg) remain in the Domadores delegation. While Billy Rodríguez (48 kg) will face Guatemalan Josué López in the final next Friday.
To the escapes in boxing is added the exodus of young baseball players. This Wednesday, Danell Figueroa and Yorelquis Hernández left the Island for the Dominican Republic. “Since the end of 2021, the emigration of Cuban baseball has been reactivated and more than 60 players have left” the island, the exiled journalist in Miami, Francys Romero, reported on his social networks .
Hernández “debuted in the 60th National Series with Santiago de Cuba,” commented the communicator. “He comes from starring in the youth categories and also joined the Cuban teams in the 2017 Pan American U-15 in Cartagena, Colombia. There he pitched six no-run innings, taking the victory against Panama.”
Figueroa is originally from Matanzas and “was part of Cuba’s preselection for the U-18 World Cup, a tournament in which Cuba ultimately declined to participate.” Romero stressed that “at only 17 years old, he is the real example of the future of Cuban baseball: players do not want to wait for time to pass while they develop or lose value, the only way out is exodus.”
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