The men's and women's squads that will represent Cuba in the boxing tournament of the upcoming Santo Domingo 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games are training at the Olympic center in Beijing, the capital of China.

The Cuban pugilists will remain in the Asian giant until the 25th of this month, focused on completing their conditioning for the year's main competition, said men's team head coach Eulices Pouyot to the digital sports publication Jit.

"We are conducting training sessions and sparring matches with the national team, which enriches the evaluation of our work and the decision-making process for making necessary corrections," said the island's strategist ahead of the regional boxing tournament, scheduled for August 1–7.

Led by two-time Olympic champion and five-time world titleholder Julio César La Cruz (90 kg), the men's squad will take on the challenge of erasing the bitter taste left by the modest medal haul in San Salvador 2023, where Cuba secured only two golds—one by La Cruz and the other by Fernando Arzola (+90 kg), another fighter also present this time.

La Cruz stated that he has a double commitment: "the aspiration to become the first boxer to win four titles in these events, and what it represents for the team and the delegation" in his role as flag bearer.

The women, who made their Central American and Caribbean debut three years ago with one silver and two bronze medals, dream of reaching the top of the podium under the guidance of acclaimed coach Julián González Cedeño.

Carysney García (54 kg) and Magda Massó (57 kg), runners-up in the March qualifier held in Guadalajara, generate the highest expectations among the female fighters from the Greater Antilles.

Cuba arrives at this new edition of the Central American and Caribbean Games, to be held from July 24 to August 8 in the Dominican Republic, as the historical leader in the all-time medal table for boxing, with 109 golds, 21 silvers, and 25 bronzes, far ahead of Puerto Rico (26-30-52), Venezuela (25-24-54), and Mexico (23-38-51).