Marcos Forestal, who competes in the 56 kilogram weight class, reportedly abandoned the team in Salem in New Hampshire, United States, before yesterday's match against the USA Knockouts.

Although no further details of his whereabouts were revealed, the Cuba Domadores released a statement saying "his decision betrays the will of a group determined to be consistent".

Cuba has a history of defecting athletes, with at least eight of the nation's competitors, including baseball player Danys Báez and shooter Abel Juncosa Reyes, abandoning their team at the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Canada.

The competition opened with a victory for Cuban WSB light flyweight number one Yosvany Veitía ©Getty Images


More recently, Athens 2004 Olympic champion boxers Odlanier Solís, Yan Bartelemí and Yuriorkis Gamboa left a training camp in Venezuela in December 2006 and defected to the US.

Forestal's absence in Salem today did not stop the Cubans from claiming a 8-2 score on aggregate, which takes them to the WSB semi-finals where they will face the Russian Boxing Team.

The competition opened with Cuban WSB light flyweight number one Yosvany Veitía taking on Puerto Rico's Anthony Chacon for the Knockouts.

Veitía controlled the first round but Chacon had a much better defence in the second and tried to attack more carefully.

Chacon then tried to turn up the heat in the following rounds but was less protective and was counted in the fourth after a quick right hook from Veitía.

The close fight came down to a split decision in favour of the Cuban.

Yasniel Toledo claimed victory in the light welterweight match against Carlos Adames in a unanimous decision ©Getty Images


The light welterweight match saw USA Knockouts' Carlos Adames from Dominican Republic fighting London 2012 Olympic bronze medallist Yasniel Toledo.

Toledo opened the bout with some tough body shots and, although Adames tried to reduce the Cuban's lead, the latter was awarded the match in a unanimous decision.

USA Knockouts' Ecuadorian Olympian Marlo Delgado Suarez then took the middleweight fight in a unanimous decision against Cuba's Yaciel Despaigne.

With Forestal not there to fight, Ramon Cardenas Jr of the USA Knockouts was awarded a walk-over at bantamweight, while the same happened for Cuba Domadores' Erislandy Savon at heavyweight in the absence of his opponent.

Russia are due host Cuba in the semi-finals on April 25 before they face each other in Cuba on May 2.

The winner of this semi-final will qualify for the WSB finals on May 30 and 31 and will take on the winner of the other semi-final being contested by defending champions Astana Arlans Kazakhstan and the Azerbaijan Baku Fires.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


Related stories
April 2014: Salem steps in to stage USA versus Cuba boxing match after Florida postponement
March 2014: WSB quarter-final clash between USA and Cuba postponed due to "eligibility issue"