Havana, August 8 (RHC) – Cuban Dayira Mesa became the first female boxing champion from the largest of the Antilles at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Santo Domingo 2026.
To achieve her feat, Mesa defeated Puerto Rican Stephanie Piñeiro in a close 3-2 split decision by the judges in the final of the women’s 70-kilogram (kg) division, held this Friday at the Combat Pavilion of the Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Center in the Dominican capital.
With Dayira’s victory in the ring at the XXV Central American and Caribbean Games, the Cuban women boxers surpassed their performance at the previous Games in San Salvador 2023, where—making their debut at these regional competitions—the Cuban women won one silver and two bronze medals.
The bronze medalists in boxing for the island this time were Dinaybi de las Nieves (51 kg), Carisney García (54 kg), Magda Massó (57 kg), and Yoana Rodríguez (75 kg).
With this outstanding performance in the so-called land of merengue, under the watchful eye of strategist Julián González Cedeño, the Cuban boxers now have one gold medal, one silver medal and six bronze medals in the Central American and Caribbean Games.
