Alberto Torres, president of FeColBox, expects Medellín’s preparation will provide his selections with the tools they need to compete for several slots in the 2020 Olympic qualifiers. 60 fighters from five countries will train in the capital of Antioquia from February 1 to 11, under the patronage of the WBA.
Yuberjen Martinez and Ingrid Valencia will lead the Colombian boxing delegation at the “Future WBA Champions” preparation camp, which will take place February 1 to 11 in Medellin, capital of Antioquia, sponsored and promoted by the World Boxing Association.
Alberto Torres, president of the Colombian Boxing Federation, announced that the delegation will participate in the event with all its staff, including regular and substitute members. The Future WBA Champions of Colombia will concentrate 60 fighters from Italy, Argentina, Puerto Rico, Venezuela and the host country, towards the Olympic qualifiers of the discipline.
“It’s a very important event to strengthen our athletes,” said Torres. “Right now the team is arriving in Bogotá. We will go with both the principal players and the assistants, and all the figures will be present, including Yuberjen Martínez and Ingrid Valencia. This event will allow us to have a better preparation, aiming at our goals of getting places in the qualifying round in Buenos Aires, taking place next March”.
The Medellín training camp is an initiative of the World Boxing Association (WBA), and has the Colombian Boxing Federation among its partners.
“The most remarkable thing right now is that we have a European country like Italy, which allows us to meet different fighters and to get closer to each other. We are very excited about this event, and we expect more to be done, not only in Medellin, but also in Barranquilla, Santa Marta and other places in the country,” he said.
The Medellín camp is part of the Future WBA Champions program, that seeks to promote and strengthen Olympic boxing, making available the values, technical tools, experience and institutional support of the WBA within the context of its One Boxing Vision.
“We are very grateful to the WBA and its president Gilberto Jesus Mendoza, for being the driving force behind Colombian professional and now amateur boxing. Their support to our fighters has been very important. The WBA is the first entity in the world that has directly supported boxing in our country,” said the Fecolbox executive.
In the occasion of the concentration, the WBA Academy will offer to the delegations workshops and updating courses for trainers and technical staff.
Torres said that Colombia has a tough challenge ahead of Tokyo 2020 as there will be fewer qualifying events than to Rio 2016. However, he emphasized that the goal is to surpass their record in Brazil, where Colombians won a couple of boxing medals