Enmanuel Reyes Pla, the talented Cuban boxer representing Spain, has secured a medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games after defeating the Belgian Schelstraete in the quarterfinals by unanimous decision.
With this victory, Reyes Pla, one of the 21 Cubans competing under other flags in these Olympics, secures his place on the podium, although it is still unknown what color the medal will be.
The boxer, known as "The Prophet," expressed his ambition to win at Roland Garros, inspired by Rafael Nadal's numerous victories at that iconic venue. "I want to win at Roland Garros. The place where Rafa Nadal did it so many times," he declared after his opening match.
Reyes Pla's achievement adds to a remarkable day for Spanish sports, which began with the successes of Álvaro Martín and María Pérez in the center of Paris.
At the Parc des Expositions, Reyes Pla delivered an impressive morning performance for the Spanish delegation, securing a medal that he had yearned for since the Tokyo 2020 Games, where he was eliminated in the quarter-finals in a controversial decision in favor of the Cuban Julio César la Cruz.
The competition bracket in Paris favored Reyes Pla, avoiding early matchups with the top favorites. The early elimination of La Cruz and Mouhiidine in their first fights and Reyes Pla's decisive victories against Han and Schelstraete paved his way to the medal.
Reyes Pla dominated Schelstraete from the start, imposing himself with his body shots and securing a clear victory in the first round (5-0). Although the jury didn't award him the second round completely (3-2), the medal was almost assured.
In the final assault, he controlled the fight, neutralizing the attacks of the Belgian and securing his victory.
"Knowing when to get into the fight and stick to the Belgian was key," explained the boxer born in Havana.
Enmanuel Reyes Pla, 31 years old, is competing for the second time in the Olympics. In Tokyo 2020, he finished in fifth place after being defeated by Julio César la Cruz.
"My aspirations in Paris focus on a single goal: the gold medal if God allows me," said Reyes Pla in an interview with CiberCuba.
"I am preparing physically and mentally to be an Olympic champion; I am getting into my best shape, I am fulfilling what my coach has set, and, most importantly, enjoying the process," he stated.
Born in Havana on December 14, 1992, Reyes Pla emigrated from Cuba after becoming national runner-up in 2016. After an odyssey that took him through Moscow, Belarus, Germany, and Austria, along with periods of imprisonment for being undocumented, he finally arrived in Spain, where he obtained citizenship and joined the Spanish Boxing Federation.
"I came to Spain because it always treated my family well and I wanted to defend its colors. They believed in me. I am not an Olympic athlete for money, but for the glory of being a champion," he stated in 2020.
While Spain secures a medal in boxing with a Cuban fighter, that discipline, which has been emblematic in the Olympic Games, is at its worst moment.
The specialized journalist Francis Romero explained that the island had the worst performance of Cuban Olympic boxing in Paris since 1968. Even in the first round, major representatives of the sport, such as La Cruz, were eliminated.
Out of five fighters, only three remain in competition, when the island has never achieved less than four medals (London 2012) since Mexico 68 when they returned with two silver medals, Romero emphasized.
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