Speaking of punches … The moment that amateur boxing lives is very complex. That added word has always been doubtful. Now, not even the Olympic ring has been spared from the blows of the legalized murder of professionalism. This last word means the pursuit of profit. And whatever way, I’m aiming. It is not the same as professionalism that indicates rigor, dedication, even love for any branch of existence. In impure boxing he shudders to great physical and moral injuries, including death. The business above, without denying the use to alienate
Professionalism invades and grows above the amateur: from a showcase to a platform that is increasingly prepared for the jump, with fewer hiding places. The glitter of money superimposed on that of medals. It happened in the most recent World Cup. Since long before, art, lack of care, goodbye to the bedside, the fight for more rounds and gloves that damage more, mercenarism, jingoism … A show that feeds the wildest of the human being in addition to the silver obtained by the owners.
And people have a beast inside. Let them come and see the blood flow, a lot of blood, with those unhealthy greed of the one who goes to the circus to see if the trapeze artist fails and falls or the lion attacks the tamer. At least in the I Junior Pan American Games the header was used, eliminated for the vast majority of tournaments.
In general, physical culture – physical education, sports and recreation – has been seriously damaged. We have to rescue her from the offensive of evil. The competitions are not free from the terrible tears of the planet. Don money against ethics. Difficult combat. As José Martí expressed: “It must always be noted that interests govern mainly men, and that virtues are rarely on the side of interests”
On one occasion I quoted in an article the words of Pierre de Coubertin and Julio Antonio Mella on the matter. The great humanist faced: “the mercantilist spirit that threatens to invade sports circles as sports have developed within a society that threatens to rot to the core because of the passion for money” (1894). The founder of our first Communist Party expressed on October 20, 1927: “… the great boxing fights and football or base-ball matches can compete, in terms of commercial power, with any business in a banana plantation or even in an oil field ”. (10-20-1927)
Back then the monopolies wore shorts. Now his clothes are very bright and drugged. Not even Olympism is free from this lack of culture. Coaches and officials must confront it. Although it is essential to adapt to reality, we cannot abandon our values, essential weapons against the offensive. The Apostle taught that victory is full of assignments, but principles should not be hurt. He also said that in life we must do many times like the long jumper: go backwards to gain momentum and thus go further. We must take care of those who prefer to stay there or want to nail the skewers on the right.
We cannot limit ourselves to surpassing the physical and technical qualities of the students: we must sculpt them as good citizens. What is athletic quality worth if the soul is not trained to coexist in such a virulent territory. Going through it without antivirus almost always ends badly. In any field, there are those who listen to the siren’s songs. What a pity they are as they are! I know how they are: without a country but with a master.
I have written countless times about those gobbled up by the polyphemus with a thousand eyes and more powerful claws in rented boxing. Every sentence for the victims hurts me. Greater suffering when doing so over those who did not understand their victorious Revolution and were won by dreams of wealth and glory, and ended up beaten to death like Benny Paret and Joe Rigores, or destroyed like Douglas Vaillant, who hanged himself in Miami because of his debts with the treasury and the problems for their participation in the sale of drugs.
I would be sad to link paragraphs due to the fall of some of the most recent ones that were conquered by merchants. Woe to him who did not want to remember, / or fight, or feel, / sold his patio and his roses / and began to tattoo death / on his chest …! ”, As I said in a poem.
