Cuba to allow female boxers to compete
STORY: Female boxers in Cuba can compete again for first time in six decades
Location: Havana, Cuba
The Caribbean island has long been hailed for its top-ranked men's boxers
But women have been banned from competing since Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution
The change quickly made waves in gyms in the Cuban capital of Havana
[Idemalis Moreno, Cuban boxer]
“If everything goes well, I could represent my country in the Olympics, in the Pan-American or Central American Games. We’ll see if we can contribute with as many achievements as the male boxers who have brought so many medals for boxing and for the Cuban delegation.”
Cuba's recently approved family code provided the legal underpinnings for the move
It’s aimed at wiping out discrimination against women and the LGBT community
in Cuba's ‘machista' culture
[Yisel Bello, Cuban boxer]
“This news is really good for me because I have been waiting for it. I want to have a sporting life as a boxer, to give the best of me and to win a medal. I’m going to sacrifice to get a medal. If in the future women can be professional boxers in Cuba, I’d be happy as well.”
