watching the documentary gloves without ring, which will be released this Tuesday, viewers will be able to learn the details of the complex process that led to authorizing the official practice of boxing female in Cuba.
The proposal of the new filmmaker Karen Sotolongo focuses on a discipline considered the “flagship” of the Cuban sports movement for being the largest bearer of Cuban Olympic titles, review Prensa Latina (PL) agency.
But beyond the results, the purpose is to put the women who make up the women’s team of this sport in the spotlight.
Through the life stories of Namibia Flores, Legnis Cala Maso, Karen Cantillo Portilla, Gisell Bello García and Juliannet Díaz Méndez, the director narrates the obstacles they faced to officially practice women’s boxing and endorses the rights to equality in sport , refers to the publication.
The film is the result of a process of approaching the subject and its protagonists in a familiar way, in order to enter their lives and obtain testimonials, witness their training sessions and promote their dreams.
“It was very nice because we were able to connect more with them, there was more trust and they opened up, because it was very difficult for them to talk to us and get everything they had inside without knowing us. But little by little, with a lot of patience and love, we obtained very good results, Sotolongo told PL.
The authorization for women to officially practice boxing was announced in December last year by the highest sports authorities in Cuba and had the support of the organization that brings together women and other institutions.
Cuba gives the green light to the official practice of women’s boxing
“When we did it, there was no hope that one day it would pass. However, they trained all the time, it was sad but they never stopped fighting, even when they knew they were pursuing a dream that other generations could enjoy because they were too old to assume it themselves,” explained the director.
“Legalization gives it a completely final turning point,” he considers.
“From something that was very sad, great relief came and confirmed the certainty that we are not wrong and everything that already exists can be improved, especially for Cuban women,” added the filmmaker.
Motivated by this different reality from the rest of the world, the audiovisual joined the attempts to open that door that remained closed for years. “Little by little we pushed and pushed until we have achieved it,” said Sotolongo.
PL recalls that the official approval of the practice of boxing for all women in Cuba, came after verifying that the damage to the practitioners is minimal, based on data from international tournaments for more than a decade.
Shortly after the Cuban Boxing Federation organized the first official posteralthough with an exhibition character and with the aim of forming the first female team on the island.
According to Alberto Puig, president of the governing body for boxing in the country, the first international contest that Cuban boxers will take on will be the Central American Games in San Salvador, from June 23 to July 8 of this year.
However, there is the possibility that some girls will participate in the Women’s World Championship, scheduled for May 1-14 in Uzbekistan.
