Olympic Boxing: Cuban Team Finally Loses A Bout In Beijing

While Cuba’s Olympic boxing team continues to perform head and shoulders above everyone else at Worker’s Gymnasium, the first crack has surfaced in the seemingly invincible cadre of boxers operating out of Havana.

The first loss to be suffered by the Cubans came when 2008 Pan American Featherweight Champ Idel Torriente was edged out by Azerbaijan’s Shahin Imranov during a close bout on Monday.

27 year old Imranov didn’t medal in the 2004 Olympics and the 2007 World Championships but rode victories picked up over Kazakhstan’s Galib Jafarov and Georgia’s Nikoloz Izoria so far in Beijing and proved too experienced for Cuba’s Torriente to handle as Imarov posted a 16-14 points win after four rounds.

Earlier on Monday, bantamweight Yankiel Leon overcame the 2004 Olympic Silver Medallist, Thailand’s Worapoj Petchkoom, to move into the semi-finals by a score of 10-2.

The 26 year old from Las Tunas, Leon, meets 2007 African Champion Bruno Julie of Mauritius, who will hold a massive height advantage over the Cuban when they fight on Friday.

On Tuesday, light flyweight Yampier Hernandez won his quarterfinal match by outpointing Brazil’s Paulo Carvalho by a dominating score of 21-6.

The 23 year old Pan American Champion will square off with Asian Champion Serdamba Purevdorj of Mongolia on Friday during the semi -finals.

Tuesday also saw 22 year old Cuban lightweight Yordenis Ugas of Santiago pound out an 11-7 win against Romania’s Georgian Popescu.

Ugas will next meet France’s Daouda Sow, who has conclusively won all three of his bouts thus far at Worker’s Gymnasium, in the semi-final on Friday.