Kindelan Article

[The Gaffer]

Here's an article on Mario Kindelan from yesterday's Sunday Times. Interesting stuff, especially as he says he will come to the UK to help train our young amateurs once he's retired.
He also says he can't fight Khan on 30th April, but will be back in May for the contest.

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The door to his room is open, and inside, a 33-year-old man, idolised by his countrymen and favoured by El Commandante, Fidel Castro, kneels by the bath, leaning over while he washes the sweat out of his work clothes. He smiles at a suggestion that he might use the hotel’s laundry facilities. He has soap and running hot water, he says. This is luxury.

Mario Kindelan is the best amateur boxer in the world, heir to the rich traditions of Cuban boxing that date back to the dazzling world featherweight and junior lightweight champion of the 1930s, Kid Chocolate, and which reached aesthetic perfection in the tall, elegant frame of Teofilio Stevenson, three times Olympic heavyweight champion.

When he came to prominence at the 1999 world championships in Houston, Texas, winning Cuba’s only gold medal on a night when their boxers were being robbed so flagrantly that Castro himself ordered them home, Sugar Ray Leonard, Kindelan’s magical predecessor as an Olympic champion, offered him $1m to defect and turn professional under his promotional banner. Kindelan smiled at the suggestion, contemplated a life of luxury, and shook Leonard’s hand.

Then he stepped into line with his dissenting teammates and marched out of the arena behind the Cuban flag, back to Havana. “I have two gorgeous daughters, Jaine and Jarianne, two Olympic gold medals and the respect and love of my people,” Kindelan explains in his Liverpool hotel room. “I thanked Sugar Ray Leonard and Evander Holyfield (who made a similar offer during the Sydney Olympics), but money cannot buy what I have.”

It is 43 years since Castro last allowed professional boxing in Cuba, where Kindelan lives in a small house in Holguin which has no running hot water, no luxuries. He drives a Peugeot 205 awarded to him by the communist government and is feted by Castro for resisting the “traffickers of bodies and souls” who have tried to lure him into a world that “enriches the few at the expense of many”. Kindelan’s conquests are Cuba’s conquests. The finest restaurants and hotels from Holguin to Havana accept him as their guest, for he is their champion warrior, hailed as “Super Mario”, Cuba’s male athlete of the year in 2004, the successor to Stevenson, whom Cubans love like Muhammad Ali.

“Mario is an artist,” says Julian Cedeno, the national boxing coach, “and the boxing ring is where he shows his art.” Kindelan’s artistry is the kind that can put honest craftsmen like Birmingham’s Frankie Gavin on the canvas, as he accomplished with clenched thunder in his right hand on Friday at Liverpool’s Olympia. He moves like a salsa dancer, all Latin rhythm and sidesteps and swivels, and opponents like Gavin are usually well out of step with the music. Disorientation was a common feeling among Gavin’s fellow Four Nations champions: the Cuban team dominated the match.

Seated ringside was Amir Khan, the 18-year-old Bolton boxer whom Kindelan beat in the Olympic lightweight final in Athens. The kid reaffirmed his desire to meet the master again before embarking on professionalism and a journey into legend. But their eagerly awaited April 30 showdown at the Reebok stadium cannot happen because of a tournament to be held in Cuba, a complication that may worry the promoter, allegedly, but is easily resolved by a man who finds virtue in simplicity. “Amir need not worry,” Kindelan says. “I can be back here with the Cuban team for the first week in May and the Cuban Federation tells me I will fight him then.”

Kindelan was born on August 10, 1971. His mother, Barbara, a mathematics teacher, wanted him to learn ballet, but her little Nureyev sought to express himself through sport instead, especially boxing. “Even the women like to box in Cuba,” he laughs. “My mother is the biggest influence in my life — she has always had confidence in my possibilities — but ballet class was not for me.”

He played baseball and volleyball at school before deciding one day to visit The Elms, the local boxing gym. “The trainers there took one look at me and said I did not have the condition to be a boxer,” he recalls. “They said, ‘Forget it, you’re too small’. I left the gym and vowed to prove them wrong.”

Kindelan worked on his own to build up strength in his legs and upper body. Every day he exercised and threw punches the way Stevenson threw them, out of a southpaw stance, fast and sharp, punches with the potential to be concussive. He closed his eyes and imagined himself with his hands raised like the great Teofilio. From the age of 12, the country’s most talented youngsters are sent to specialist schools to have their skills for their chosen sport developed and nurtured. Kindelan made it on to the programme and in his first significant fight, as a 17-year-old, encountered Felix Trinidad of Puerto Rico in the first of two bouts that established his legend.

Cuban boxers take great satisfaction from their victories over fighters who ultimately win professional world titles, and in annexing belts in three weight divisions — welterweight, light middleweight and middleweight — while beating men such as Oscar De La Hoya along the way, Trinidad has proved himself among the best champions of his day. Kindelan beat Trinidad handily, then three bouts later not only did he defeat Javier Cintron of the United States, he did so with a broken right arm, sustained early in the bout.

He complained about the pain to his trainer, who wanted to pull him out. But Kindelan told him, “No way.” The damage he sustained was so severe that it threatened his career. “The doctor said at first that I would never box again,” he says, displaying the scar left by surgery on the inside of his lower arm. But the doctor had failed to take account of his patient’s will, the same mistake that the trainers at The Elms had made.

“I wore a cast for six months and it took another year of physiotherapy before I was able to get back in the ring. Then I lost three straight fights.” Out of this adversity, Cuba’s star was born. The loser of three straight fights in 1991 and 1992 is now the winner of three successive world championships in addition to his Olympic golds. He has won every international tournament in which he has competed since 1999.

“I say to everybody that Mario is the ultimate example of success through work, more work and more work,” says Cedeno, his coach. “Every day, even now, he goes to work. He believes in work.” Kindelan’s day, like his fellow boxers’, begins at 6am. He weighs himself and may go for a run before physical training between 8am and 9.30. Lunch is served at 11.30 and technical training is scheduled for the afternoon.

“We are usually free after 5pm and this is our routine every day,” he emphasises. “Cubans, you see, we fight for our country and for the well- being of our family, our children. Cubans are fighters in all walks of life. At the National Boxing School in Havana (where they can be seen practising combinations on bus seats because of the scarcity of punchbags) there is a sign above the ring that reads: ‘In Cuba we only love those who resist, and the rest we tolerate’. Ours is a small island. We are only 11m people. But we are fighters. We live to fight.”

And some are born. Each morning Kindelan lines up his teammates, his comrades in battle, and they repeat after him: “We are in this team for the glory of our country, and in Beijing, in every weight division, we will win a medal.”

Their captain will retire later this year, however, and he has plans to come back to England to lend his expertise as a coach. He will come with Castro’s blessing and with a mission to shine a light on amateur boxing in this country. Paul King, the Amateur Boxing Association’s Liverpool-based development officer, confirms: “We’ve held formal discussions with Mario and the Cuban federation and the basis of a working relationship has been agreed.”

Kindelan rinses out his gear, places it on a radiator in his room and smiles as he considers the rematch with Khan. The kid can see his future, he says. The master can also see his.

[dbf]

great read. thanks gaffer.

[jeej]

Yeah, thanks for that.

[Lefthookhappy19]

Kindelan's good no doubt, but somewhat overrated. I think he need a harder punch to be successful as a pro with his style. Imo isn't even the best Cuban currently. Guillermo Rigondeux (sp?) is the best imo. Already a double Olympic gold medalist. Fights at Bantam I think it is. Incredible fighter who also has a serious punch and a pro body. He'd be a monster as a pro. Pernell Whitaker with a punch.

[jamesmcdonnell]

Kindelan's good no doubt, but somewhat overrated. I think he need a harder punch to be successful as a pro with his style. Imo isn't even the best Cuban currently. Guillermo Rigondeux (sp?) is the best imo. Already a double Olympic gold medalist. Fights at Bantam I think it is. Incredible fighter who also has a serious punch and a pro body. He'd be a monster as a pro. Pernell Whitaker with a punch.

Yes, however, Kindelan is amateur, and he fights in a way which best suits that code. I remember Rigondeux, he did look better to me. I agree though that Kindelan is a sharp rather than hurtful puncher.

Thing is, these days there's not much advantage to being a big hitter in amateurs unless you spark your opponent, as you only get 1 extra point for a knockdown or standing 8 count. Seems ridiculous to me.

[JC]

Yes, however, Kindelan is amateur, and he fights in a way which best suits that code. I remember Rigondeux, he did look better to me. I agree though that Kindelan is a sharp rather than hurtful puncher.

Thing is, these days there's not much advantage to being a big hitter in amateurs unless you spark your opponent, as you only get 1 extra point for a knockdown or standing 8 count. Seems ridiculous to me.

Yeah whenever I see footage of older amature fights, even after headguards were introduced, they look so much more exciting than what we see now. Also the scoring system needs to be sorted it only ever seems to register one punch out of a combination, which seems to discourage fighters from getting in there and actually fighting.

[jamesmcdonnell]

Yes, it's a fornicating stupid system. You basically are better off throwing one shot at a time, otherwise the shots aren't registered.

They need to sort the amateur code out, it's more like fencing now than boxing, and it's going to make it less and less attractive for someone to stay amateur, because the longer they do, the more they will have to relearn when they turn pro, it's a whole different style of fighting.

Of course, they work in combinations in the gym, but that's not the same as throwing them for real in fights.

[Max Molyneux]

I think the Cubans havent left for Ireland yet I saw guys walking around in Liverpool city centre with the same tracksuits as Kindelans and had Cuba written on them.

[coneye]

What you have to remember is the amateur boxing over the years has been changed to suit the cubans, Make no bones about it ameteur boxing is political , The point system suits them down to a tee the cubans have mastered the art of hit, once, run, score points, and run when your in front , , they only seem to have tall boxers for the hit and run style.

The 3 minuite rnds are being phased out all over the world if there not phased out already , in favor of 2 minuits , easier to run and hold for two than 3 especialy if your in front

To top it off there not even ameteurs they get paid by the goverment to train most others have to hold a job down and try for sponsership

[locoxelbox]

What you have to remember is the amateur boxing over the years has been changed to suit the cubans, Make no bones about it ameteur boxing is political , The point system suits them down to a tee the cubans have mastered the art of hit, once, run, score points, and run when your in front , , they only seem to have tall boxers for the hit and run style.

The 3 minuite rnds are being phased out all over the world if there not phased out already , in favor of 2 minuits , easier to run and hold for two than 3 especialy if your in front

To top it off there not even ameteurs they get paid by the goverment to train most others have to hold a job down and try for sponsership

Don't forget the World Championships scandal in Houston. The Cubans have gotten many decisions against them over the years. The scoring system was introduced to prevent decisions as the Si Hun Park-Roy Jones bout. The thing is that if the judges aren't good it doesn't matter which system you use. At least with the scoring machine you can control the work of the judges.
The two minute rounds were based on the doctors opinion to make amateur boxing safer as most knockouts occur in the third minute of the round when the boxer is tired.
Many countries give their olympic athletes the support to train full time, not just Cuba.

[knockout]

What you have to remember is the amateur boxing over the years has been changed to suit the cubans, Make no bones about it ameteur boxing is political , The point system suits them down to a tee the cubans have mastered the art of hit, once, run, score points, and run when your in front , , they only seem to have tall boxers for the hit and run style.

The 3 minuite rnds are being phased out all over the world if there not phased out already , in favor of 2 minuits , easier to run and hold for two than 3 especialy if your in front

To top it off there not even ameteurs they get paid by the goverment to train most others have to hold a job down and try for sponsership

i see, so cuba, a country with little financial or politcial sway internationally have managed to change amateur boxing to suit themselves..... shame the Americans or the Russians are too small to have that kind of impact

practically every athlete at the olympics gets financial support from the government.... you think Kelly Holmes would have won two golds if she had to fund herself.......