HAVANA, Cuba, Sep 23 (ACN) Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel extended his condolences to the family and friends of ex-boxer Orlando Martínez Romero.
In a message posted on the social network Twitter, the President lamented the decease of the great pugilist, who in Munich ’72 became the first Cuban to win a gold medal in Olympic games.
Executives of the National Institute of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation (INDER), headed by acting vice president Oliet Rodríguez and high performance general director José Antonio Miranda, paid their last respects to Martínez, popularly known as the Southpaw from Juanelo, who died at the age of 75 after suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.
Born on September 2, 1946 and linked to boxing since 1963 in Havana, Martínez also participated in the Olympic Games of Mexico 1968 and Montreal 1976, finished third in the Central American Games of Santo Domingo 1974, and won several national belts.
After retiring from active sports, he devoted himself to the noble task of teaching.
