{"id":290276,"date":"2023-10-17T20:35:56","date_gmt":"2023-10-18T00:35:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/?p=290276"},"modified":"2023-10-17T20:37:06","modified_gmt":"2023-10-18T00:37:06","slug":"legnis-cala-life-put-boxing-in-my-path","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/sports\/boxing\/legnis-cala-life-put-boxing-in-my-path\/","title":{"rendered":"Legnis Cala: \u201cLife put boxing in my path\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

Boxing<\/b><\/a>\u00a0changed Legnis Cala Mass\u00f3\u2019s life from one day to the next. At 32, she had long ago left behind the dream of succeeding in sports. But, unexpectedly, she got a second chance.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI had tried to hang up my gloves, but I couldn\u2019t. Life put boxing in my path,\u201d says this young woman from Havana. Just a year ago she could not imagine that she would be the Central American runner-up in the 57 kilograms and that today she would emerge as one of Cuba\u2019s hopes for the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, which will begin in just a few days.<\/span><\/p>\n

When last December the island\u2019s sports authorities announced the oft-delayed officialization of women\u2019s boxing, Legnis was no longer thinking about getting into a ring. She was \u201csitting at home,\u201d she tells <\/span>OnCuba<\/b>, wondering how to get her life back on track after the impasse of the pandemic.<\/span><\/p>\n

Until COVID-19 disrupted the plans and routines of millions of people, she, at least, took a walk to the gym \u201cfrom time to time.\u201d Her idea was not to become a boxer per se, but to stay in shape and enjoy \u201cthe adrenaline\u201d that she feels when she gets into the ring.<\/span><\/p>\n

But with the pandemic all that was left behind. Afterward, nothing was the same. This is why she resisted the idea of attending the meeting held by the Cuban Federation in search of athletes for the nascent women\u2019s national team. \u201cI didn\u2019t want to go. At that point, what for?\u201d she says.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe blame\u201d for her changing her mind was that of a neighbor, who also practiced boxing and insisted that she accompany her to the competition. And she also blamed her weakness in allowing herself to \u201cget excited,\u201d when she herself did not believe that it would make much sense for her to put the gloves back on.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat same day of the competition I had a family affair, but I was already there, and I got into the ring. I lost the fight and I thought that was it, that I had no chance, but it seems that the coaches saw something in me, because they still selected me for the team. They had confidence in me when I myself didn\u2019t think I could, and here I am,\u201d she notes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Women boxers<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n