After months of calibrating the decision, the Cuban federation of boxing He joined the nascent World Boxing to ensure his presence in the Olympic tournament.
However, this step did not mean a complete break with the questioned International Association of Boxing (IBA), which will organize its universal tournament with the participation of fighters from the Island.
The contest will be held between December 3 and 13 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where four Cubans will appear led by the double Olympic champions Julio Cesar La Cruz and Arlen López, according to a note published by the sports portal Hit.
Alberto Puig de la Barca, head of the FCB, explained to the media that the entity considered it appropriate to take advantage of this competitive space as part of the preparation of the selected fighters for upcoming matches on professional cards.
The federation added that the group will be completed by the 2023 world runner-up, Fernando Arzola, and Giorvis Salfrán, silver medalist from the World Cup held that same year.
After their participation in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, La Cruz and Arlen have prioritized their forays into professional circuits, in which they have achieved good results.
For the Camagüeyan, his last presentation as an amateur at the highest level occurred at the World Championship organized by World Boxing in the English city of Liverpool last September.
There La Cruz equaled the feat of the legendary Félix Savón of winning medals in seven editions of these events, but his dream of achieving his sixth crown ended up becoming bronze.
Arlen, who was not included in the formation that represented the island on British soil, also performed in September 2025 on a professional billboard organized in the German city of Berlin, where successfully defended for the second time the continental belt of the World Boxing Association (WBA).
The Dubai tournament will have a substantial cash prize pool, as the champions will take home a prize of $350,000, while the silver medalists will take home half of that amount.
between two waters
Cuba’s presence in the IBA World Cup proves that the world body maintains its harmony with the FCB, which it helped organize the first professional posters on the island after more than six decades of banning rented boxing.
Amid questions about lack of transparency and governance problems, the IBA lost the support of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which began to recognize World Boxing, and made membership in the new organization a requirement for all national federations to participate in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic tournament.
Cuba delayed until last May the announcement that it complied with the IOC guidelines, in order to guarantee its presence in a competition in which its representatives have won 42 titles, 19 silver medals and 19 bronze medals.
The largest Caribbean island also leads the historical medal table of the world boxing championships, with a haul of 81 titles. In addition, he has 38 silver and 33 bronze medals, the last three in Liverpool, where he had his worst historical performance in these competitions.
