In early October, in Ulan-Ude, the women's world boxing championship will start. It is expected that about 500 athletes from 53 countries will take part in it. Each of them won the right to come to the capital of Buryatia following the results of national competitions, but some had to defend it not only in the ring.
This is the story told by a member of the organizing committee of the championship of the planet Vladimir Irincheev. According to him, for many it was a big surprise that the representative of Honduras, Maria Antunes, appeared in Ulan-Ude, since she had not previously announced her participation. However, the boxer not only reached Russia without escorting his team, but also independently found housing.
“Teams, athletes come, there are different situations. For example, a girl from Honduras flew to us on a regular flight from Beijing. She was not registered in advance. It turned out that for a trip to the competition in Russia, she collected money on the Internet, ”TASS quoted Irincheva as saying.
At the end of July this year, Antunes received the opportunity to take part in the October World Cup, but it turned out that the budget of the Boxing Federation of Honduras is not designed for such expenses. Then the girl decided to act on her own and announced the collection of funds that she intended to spend on a trip to Ulan-Ude.
“I work harder than ever to realize my dream and represent all women and my country. Please support me along the way by donating funds and sharing this link. I have two months to collect the necessary amount, ”the boxer wrote in a comment on the site for collecting donations.
Having collected a third of the declared amount, the athlete bought a plane ticket, and also rented an apartment using online services, unable to contact the organizers of the championship of the planet. Already in Buryatia, she was helped with relocation to a hotel, since, in accordance with the regulations, tournament participants are forbidden to live in rented accommodation.
In addition, it turned out that Antunes came to the competition without a coach, but the organizers assured that this problem would be solved soon.
“Fate brought her to the Cuban boxing coach, who is not a mentor of the Cuban national team, but simply came to the championship from neighboring Mongolia. He will probably be her second, this is currently being agreed with the International Boxing Association (AIBA). They are training together now, the girl will participate, ”added Irincheev.
Antunes arrived in Ulan-Ude a few days ago and has already begun preparations for the World Cup, which, according to her admission, will become the most significant sporting event in her career. On her page on social networks, she actively shares photos from Russia, especially noting the hospitality and hospitality of local residents.
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Posted by Maria F. Antunez (@ mantun92) Sep 29, 2019 at 11:18 am PDT
The athlete does not forget about those who helped her raise funds for the trip, noting how much she appreciates each amount made. She said that one of the most exciting moments for her was a meeting with six-time world champion Mary Kom, which took place in a hotel in Ulan-Ude.
“The story of this woman is truly inspiring. In the last weeks before this trip, I watched a lot of her fights and a movie about her. It’s a great honor for me to take part in this tournament with such great athletes and just wonderful people, ”the boxer admitted.
Antunes grew up in a sports family, but began her career not in boxing, but in football. She was prevented from becoming a professional player by a knee injury, but it was thanks to her that she got into the ring, following in her father's footsteps. As one of the idols, the representative of Honduras calls the World Boxing Association (WBA), the World Boxing Organization (WBO) and the World Boxing Council (WBC) Vasily Lomachenko, and the main goal is to get to the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
According to Irincheev, the history of Antunes was not the only similar story before the start of the World Cup. The Ministry of Sports and Youth Policy of Buryatia had to provide warm clothes to three representatives of the Burundi team, who flew to Russia “in the same shirt”, since they did not have the opportunity to buy jackets at home.
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Posted by Maria F. Antunez (@ mantun92) Sep 23, 2019 at 6:57 am PDT
At the moment, participation in the national championship of the national team of Ukraine is being specified. Initially, it was reported that athletes did not intend to come to Buryatia because of a decree of the Ministry of Sports of the country, according to which athletes who decided to come to international competitions in Russia should independently pay for their expenses and be responsible for their safety. However, the General Secretary of the Boxing Federation of Russia Umar Kremlev assured that the organization did not receive an official refusal from the representatives of the national team, and the Boxing Federation of Ukraine intended to provide them with financial assistance.