The Times of India, May 8, 2000
MEXICO CITY: The International Association of Amateur Boxing slapped sanctions on the president, vice president and principal trainer of the Cuban Boxing Federation for withdrawing fighters from the world championships in Houston last year.
The president, Jose Barrientos, received a four-year suspension and a four-year period of observation after that; vice president Teofilo Stevenson received a year's suspension and three years of observation; and principal trainer Alcides Sagarra received a year's suspension, plus a year of
observation.
The sanctions were lodged because the directors withdrew their fighters in Houston last august after complaining about unfair fight results. The punishments are retroactive to August 28, 1999.
At a separate news conference after the sanctions were announced on Saturday, members of the Cuban federation, accompanied in a show of support by Cuba's ambassador to Mexico, angrily denounced the association's decision.
The federation's leaders said the 12-member Cuban team would still be able participate in the Olympic Games in Sydney this year.
Barrientos called the sanctions unjust and said the association failed to give the Cubans an adequate response to their repeated claims that the fight judges and arbitrators are corrupt and have links to the mafia.
"Our federation and the Cuban sporting movement doesn't accept and condemns" the association's response, "and will continue before the appropriate organizations in the sports world to denounce these maneuvers," Barrientos said. (AP)
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