Former British boxer Amir Khan donated $5,000 to Mario Kindelán to build a house for his mother on the island. According to the retired professional boxer, the Cuban, whom he met on December 2 in Bahrain, in a moment of ” “despair” offered him to keep “the Olympic gold medal” that he had won in the final of the 2004 Athens Olympic Games in exchange for the money.
“It touched my heart,” said the former professional boxer. “I will give you the money for your mother’s house,” he told Kindelán, on the condition that you “keep the gold medal,” he told him, who he considers one of the best Cuban amateur boxers of all time. In accordance with the middle Mirror Fightinga friend of the British boxer also found out that the man from Santiago had no money, so he decided to double the donation to help the Cuban.
“The British man knows very well the sentimental value of an Olympic gold medal. Most likely, Kindelán does not want to sell said medal,” public Swing Completo.
The same media noted that Kindelán is one of many Cuban sports glories that are going through difficult times. “However, the love of a mother is above any object that may exist.”
Khan recalled that the two faced each other twice as amateur athletes. “He beat me in the Olympic final in Athens when he was 17 years old,” he said. “A few months later we fought again and I beat him in Bolton, where I became the number one lightweight in the world and moved up to the professional ranks with Frank Warren.”
This is so sad and at the same time great to see @amirkingkhan doing what he did here.
Well done Amir 👏🏼
If you don’t know, Mario Kindelan was one of the greatest amateur boxers of all time. pic.twitter.com/z2FhH3ecP9
— Tony Jeffries OLY (@Tony_Jeffries) December 2, 2023
The sports edition Play-Off Magazine He recalled that the auction house RR Auction has offered several medals from Cuban sports figures. In Januaryas part of the Olympic Memorabilia lot, the gold medal that boxer Roniel Iglesias won at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games was offered.
The medal, which on the edge has inscribed: Boxing, men’s welterweight (63-69 kg), retained its original multicolored ribbon, in addition to the traditional Japanese design on ichimatsu moyo (harmonized checkered patterns) and kasane no irom (traditional kimono layering techniques). RR Auction obtained $83,188, but it is not known if Iglesias obtained any of this money.
In that same auction, Carlos Banteux’s silver medal obtained at the 2008 Beijing Olympics was offered, in the 69 kilogram division. The medal, which was displayed in a red rosewood case, was sold for $25,000.
In 2021, the American auction house sold the gold medals of Iván Pedroso, which he won in Sydney 2000 in show jumping for $71,335, and of the shooter Leuris Pupo for $73,205.
On that same day, the silver medals of the Cuban wrestling exponents, Yasmany Lugo, who won in Rio 2016 for $25,000, and that of Juan Luis Marén, who won in Sydney 2000 for $10,000, were sold.
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