“The only thing that works is the engine” and he had to invest “almost $5,000” to get it in acceptable condition
14ymedio/Swing Completo, Havana, 16 March 2025 — Cuban Olympic boxing champion Erislandy Álvarez criticized the distribution of damaged vehicles that the National Institute of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation (Inder) made a few days ago to encourage its outstanding athletes. “Why tag me in that distribution if what they gave me was crap,” the boxer posted on Facebook, and shortly afterward deleted the post .
Álvarez, who stood up for Cuban boxing at the 2024 Paris Olympics by winning the island’s only gold medal in the sport, denounced that the only thing that works on the Hyundai Grand i10 vehicle that INDER gave him is the engine. The athlete asserted that, in just two weeks, he has invested “almost $5,000, and what’s missing” to bring it into acceptable condition. “These are things they don’t publish,” he said, referring to the reports made by the official media about the delivery of the cars.
The island’s best boxer in the 63.5 kilogram category stated in a message captured by the specialized media outlet Swing Completo that “a tire blew out. Thank God, nothing happened to me.”
The cars delivered are not new, but were taken from the tourist rental market. The regime used them to encourage retired athletes, coaches, and active athletes for their “dedication and loyalty” at an event held this Monday at the Coliseum of Havana’s Sports City.
The cars delivered were taken from the tourism rental market and the regime took advantage of the opportunity to encourage retired athletes, coaches and sportsmen.
According to images shared on social media, they had some visible damage. The white car delivered to Briandy Molina Elías, according to an image shared on the Facebook page Por la Goma, is missing some parts and the paint is damaged.
Para-athlete Ulicer Aguilera Cruz was given another vehicle with a license plate bearing his name and the year 2024. The car is missing its wheel covers and the engine cover is misaligned, as seen in the photos published by Inder in Banes.
During the event at the Sports City, a vehicle was also presented to coach Raúl de Jesús Trujillo Díaz, the architect of the strategies and tactics that led Greco-Roman wrestling star Mijaín López to win five consecutive gold medals at the Olympic Games: Beijing 2008, London 2012, Rio de Janeiro 2016, Tokyo 2020, and Paris 2024.
Also receiving cars were Cuban athletes Enrique Figuerola Camué (athletics), Omara Durand Elías (parallel track and field), and Luis Miguel Rodríguez Ricardo (baseball). Coaches who received cars included Sarbelio Fuentes Rodríguez (boxing), Filiberto Alberto Delgado Santiago (wrestling), Miriam Ferrer Fernández (parallel track and field), and Nelson Perales García (canoeing).
The rest of the list includes: Erislandy Álvarez Borges (boxing), Luis Alberto Orta Sánchez (Greco-Roman wrestling), Yusneylis Guzmán López (freestyle wrestling), Milaimy de la Caridad Marín Potrillé (freestyle wrestling), Robiel Yankiel Sol Cervantes (parathlete), Yunier Fernández Izquierdo (table tennis), Guillermo Varona González (para-athletics), Yamel Luis Vives Suárez (para-athletics), Pablo Ramírez Barrientos (paraweights) and Sheyla Hernández Estupiñán (para-judo).
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