Cuba suffered a double blow this Monday at the Central American and Caribbean Games Santo Domingo 2026: two of its Olympic champions, wrestler Luis Alberto Orta and boxer Erislandy Álvarez, were withdrawn from the competition due to health reasons, as confirmed by the Cuban delegation.
The news was spread by sports journalist Raúl Rodríguez on his social media.
Orta, Olympic champion in Tokyo 2020 in the 60 kg category and bronze medalist in Paris 2024 in 67 kg, was diagnosed with an arboviral disease that causes high fever and general malaise.
The doctors indicated that the fighter needs between seven and ten days of rest before his condition can be reevaluated, making his participation in the Central Caribbean event, which runs until August 8, unfeasible.
In his place, Leonard Véliz will compete in the 67 kg category of Greco-Roman wrestling.
Álvarez's case is even more complex from a sporting perspective: the only gold medal for Cuban boxing at Paris 2024 —where he defeated the Frenchman Sofiane Oumiha by a split decision of 3-2 in the final of the 63.5 kg category— underwent surgery for a right inguinal hernia and also had a cyst removed from his back.
The national boxing commissioner Robinson Poll explained that the intervention prevented him from adequately preparing for the competition, as reported by the state media Juventud Rebelde.
Unlike Orta, Álvarez will not have a replacement: "according to the tournament regulations, he will not have a substitute in his category," which means that Cuba forfeits a spot with real medal opportunities in boxing.
Both losses come at a delicate time for the Cuban delegation, which ranks third in the overall medal tally of the Games with the stated goal of finishing among the top three and securing around 68 gold medals.
Cuba registered 504 athletes in 42 disciplines for this edition, the largest delegation in its recent history at these games, but the absence of top-level figures in wrestling and boxing —disciplines where the island has historically accumulated medals— complicates that goal.
Orta is one of the most celebrated Cuban wrestlers of the last decade: in addition to winning the Olympic gold in Tokyo, he became the world champion in Belgrade 2023 in the 67 kg category and was named by the United World Wrestling as the best Greco-Roman wrestler in the world in 2023.
Álvarez, born in Cienfuegos, had ventured into professional boxing in 2025, remaining undefeated, and his return to the national team for Santo Domingo was one of the highlights of the Cuban delegation.
With the Games in full swing and the medal tally still up for grabs, Cuba will need to reassess its aspirations without two of its most valuable contenders in disciplines where regional competition is becoming increasingly demanding.
Related videos:
Filed under: