Havana, Cuba.-The boxing dual meet between a Cuban provincial team, and a team from the US city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, showed that sport exchanges between Cuba and the US are opening ways for normalization of bilateral relations.

After several dual meets in sports such as baseball, basketball, wrestling, kick boxing, soccer, volleyball, water sports and others, now is the turn for boxing.

Both nations can boast on legendary boxers, such as from Teófilo Stevenson, Kid Chocolate or Félix Savón, until Mohamed Alí, Joe Louis or George Foreman.

The boxing cartel of nine fights in the western city of Pinar del Rio, and the final result favored the local team, 6-3.

Beyond any trace of historical rivalry or unheard-of obstinacy, the dual meet served to join the parts and to relaunch the sports contacts between Cuban and US Americans.

Everybody has behaved very kindly, they have offered hospitality to us and we are eager to return in another occasion, said Paul Costa, representative of the 34th District of the city belonging to the state of Pennsylvania.

In statements published by the weekly magazine Jit, Michael Diven, one of the managers of Hibernian Celtic Athletic Fund – organization without lucre ends – said that ‘Cuba is the best in the world, in boxing. If we want to have champions ourselves, we have to be able to match them.’

Results of the Dual Meet:

64 kg: Yan Carlos Iglesias (PRI) 3-0 over Charlie Clouston (EEUU).

-64: Luis Miguel Rivera (PRI) 3-0 over Ricky Keck (EEUU).

-60: Sylvio Cercone (EEUU) 3-0 over Yosvani Rodríguez (PRI).

-57: Cameron Donnelly (EEUU) 3-0 over Carlos Alberto Díaz (PRI).

-64: Reynier Díaz (PRI) 3-0 over Billy Wolfe (EEUU).

-54: Vincent Austin (EEUU) 2-1 over Leinier Peña (PRI).

-69: José Manuel Izaguirre (PRI) 3-0 over Hugo García (EEUU).

-69: Jorge Enrique González (PRI) 3-0 over Rosalindo Morales (EEUU).

-75: Yassiel Despaigne (PRI) 3-0 over David Rodríguez (EEUU).