Boxing in Havana
Located within one of Old Havana’s crumbling neighborhoods the “Rafael Trejo al Aire Libre” is a makeshift open air arena for local boxing enthusiasts. It’s not much to look at: a dusty courtyard, a ring under a corrugated iron roof at the center of the courtyard surrounded by pastel walls from apartment buildings next-door and a solitary punch bag. On the Barcelona street, just behind the Capitolio, in the place where a demolished house used to be, people have welded a makeshift boxing ring and a pressed steel gate where they wrote with a spray: ”Boxeo: orgullo cubano”. No chairs, just the walls and the ring. These two gyms alone have produced more Olympic medalists than most of the entire country.
Despite their humble settings, neighborhood boxing gyms like these are the key to Cuba’s world renowned excellence in the boxing domain. It’s here that willing children are trained and formed under the tutelage of experienced boxers. Here, amongst the antiquated equipment, it’s where the passion emerges, skills are developed and dreams about a better future are born.
Boxing is for many young Cubans a way out of poverty. All of these kids have one dream: to become champions; to win an Olympic medal and the acclaim of sports fans. Those who succeed will become heroes of Cuban society.
Cuba has a long history of World and Olympic boxing champions, both in professional (banned in 1962) and amateur boxing. Despite the fact that after the Revolution professional boxing was prohibited by the Government, Cuba has a deserved reputation for producing some of the world’s finest boxers; Kid Chocolate, Teofilo Stevenson and Felix Savon were all world class.
In 2006 and 2007 I visited the Rafael Trejo’s gym. In 2011 I had the honor to meet Stevenson. In 2014 I discovered the little gym from Barcelona Street. This is a story about courage and determination, about dreams and the battle to survive.
Boxing in Havana
Located within one of Old Havana’s crumbling neighborhoods the “Rafael Trejo al Aire Libre” is a makeshift open air arena for local boxing enthusiasts. It’s not much to look at: a dusty courtyard, a ring under a corrugated iron roof at the center of the courtyard surrounded by pastel walls from apartment buildings next-door and a solitary punch bag. On the Barcelona street, just behind the Capitolio, in the place where a demolished house used to be, people have welded a makeshift boxing ring and a pressed steel gate where they wrote with a spray: ”Boxeo: orgullo cubano”. No chairs, just the walls and the ring. These two gyms alone have produced more Olympic medalists than most of the entire country.
Despite their humble settings, neighborhood boxing gyms like these are the key to Cuba’s world renowned excellence in the boxing domain. It’s here that willing children are trained and formed under the tutelage of experienced boxers. Here, amongst the antiquated equipment, it’s where the passion emerges, skills are developed and dreams about a better future are born.
Boxing is for many young Cubans a way out of poverty. All of these kids have one dream: to become champions; to win an Olympic medal and the acclaim of sports fans. Those who succeed will become heroes of Cuban society.
Cuba has a long history of World and Olympic boxing champions, both in professional (banned in 1962) and amateur boxing. Despite the fact that after the Revolution professional boxing was prohibited by the Government, Cuba has a deserved reputation for producing some of the world’s finest boxers; Kid Chocolate, Teofilo Stevenson and Felix Savon were all world class.
In 2006 and 2007 I visited the Rafael Trejo’s gym. In 2011 I had the honor to meet Stevenson. In 2014 I discovered the little gym from Barcelona Street. This is a story about courage and determination, about dreams and the battle to survive.
