Cuba to dedicate monument to boxer Teofilo Stevenson

Havana, Oct 2 (IANS/EFE):

Cuba will dedicate a monument and construct a city square to pay tribute to legendary boxer Teofilo Stevenson (1952-2012), a three-time Olympic and world champion, state media said Monday.

The effort to pay tribute to the famous Cuban pugilist – who suffered a fatal heart attack in June – is designed to celebrate sports and cultural events, the speaker of the legislature in Stevenson’s native province of Las Tunas, Lilian Rodriguez, said.

During a meeting with relatives, trainers and authorities, she also announced that a city square will be constructed where sculptures symbolizing Olympic competition will be set up.

Alcides Sagarra, the late champ’s main trainer, said at the meeting that starting next year the Teofilo Stevenson boxing cup competition will be held in Las Tunas.

Stevenson was 20 years old when he won his first Olympic championship at the 1972 Munich Games, and thereafter he never ceased to accumulate title after title that made him the best amateur boxer in history.

It was after his formidable victory in the 1986 world boxing championship in Reno, Nevada, that the Cuban champion finally decided to retire.