Cuban Rafael Alba, double world champion and Olympic bronze medalist in Tokyo 2020was injured in his opening bout at the Grand Prix of taekwondo based in Manchester, United Kingdom.
The man from Santiago was successfully facing the Croatian Pasko Bozic, when the discomfort prevented him from continuing the fight and thus frustrated his aspirations to fight for a medal in the fight.
“He was winning the first match when he got injured,” commented the president of the Cuban federation of that sport, Iván Fernández, to the sports portal Hitwhich does not provide further details on the location or magnitude of the aforementioned injury.
Taekwondoca Alba suffered an injury in Manchester
Lost by RSC. The Brazilian Maicon Siqueira was titled in the +80 kg division. #Cuba #taekwondohttps://t.co/3J4VkELWIg pic.twitter.com/ug5tw3Zibs— JIT Cuban Sport (@jit_digital) October 24, 2022
Despite the status of European monarch of his first rival, Alba had “a small advantage” in his premiere in the +80 kilogram division in Manchester, taking into account that he had been one of his victims on the way to the throne of the Grand Prix of Parisheld last month.
On that occasion, the Cuban not only defeated Bozic but all his opponents, including Croatian Iván Sapina in the final of the highest men’s division, in three rounds that ended with scores of 4-0, 4-5 and 7- two.
Cuban Rafael Alba wins gold at the Paris Taekwondo Grand Prix
Now, on the other hand, Bozic was awarded victory by RSC, since the judge had to stop the fight at the Manchester Arena before the end of the regulatory rounds due to the injury of the man from Santiago.
accurate Hit that this time the scepter went to the hands of the Brazilian Maico Siqueira, after beating the local idol Caden Cunningham, whom he “kicked to the body” in the third assault that ended up being decisive.
The event was attended by 256 athletes from 61 countries, plus a refugee team, and served as a showcase for the upcoming World Taekwondo Championship, scheduled for November 13-20 in Guadalajara, Mexico.
The publication does not clarify whether the recent injury would prevent Alba from seeking her third universal crown there – she won in Puebla 2013 and in Manchester 2019—, but remember that the Taekwondo Grand Prix tournament circuit corresponding to the current season will end with a stop in Saudi Arabia scheduled for the coming month of December.
