Alcides Sagarra Carón

Dr.
Alcides Sagarra
Alcides Sagarra (center right) and Teófilo Stevenson meeting with the press at the Olimpiyski Sport Complex during the 1980 Summer Olympics
Personal information
Full nameAlcides Sagarra Carón
Nickname"El Maestro"
Born (1936-08-18) August 18, 1936 (age 88)
Santiago  Cuba
OccupationBoxing trainer
Sport
Country Cuba
SportAmateur boxing
Retired2001
Cuban Team achievements under Sagarra
World
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Olympic Games 32
Friendship Games 11 1 0
Goodwill Games
World Championships 63
World Cup
Youth, Jr and Cadet World Championships 64
Military Spartakiads of the Friendly Armies
Regional
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Pan American Games
Central American and Caribbean Games
Central American and Caribbean Championships
North American Championships
Total

Dr. Alcides Sagarra Carón (born August 18, 1936) is a Cuban sport official best known for moulding the amateur boxing team into a dominant force during his reign as the coach of the Cuban National Boxing Team (19642001) for which he gained an honorary soubriquet "El Maestro"[1] (="The Master").

Career

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Alcides was born in Santiago de Cuba.

Between 1951 and 1954 he was an active boxer himself but quit due to his asthma. He worked as a mechanic but kept studying at the Sports Institute Manuel Fajardo.

In 1962 he became coach who quickly gained the reputation of being a strict disciplinarian, in 1963 he prepared the boxers of Havanna Province for the national championships. He sought the help of East German professor Kurt Rosentil to develop all kinds of innovative training methods. He was so successful that as early as 1964 he was promoted to national head coach. Also instrumental was Andrey Chervonenko, a Soviet coach sent to share training techniques as a display of Communism solidarity.[2] The first stars of the team were Enrique Regüeiferos (63,5 kilograms), Rolando Garbey (71 kg) and Roberto Caminero (60 kg) Cuba's first PanAm champ 1963.

Cuba medaled at the Olympics for the first time in 1968 (Regüeiferos, Garbey). He helped to develop the skills of amateur superstars like three time Olympic gold medalists Teofilo Stevenson who upset Duane Bobick by KO in 1972 to start heavyweight dominance and Félix Savón.

In 1992 the University of Havana awarded him a scientific title of "Doctor en Ciencias Pedagógicas". 2001 he retired from his post as national coach the post is now occupied by Sarbelio Fuentes.

His record is 32 Olympic Golds, 63 (senior) World championships, 64 junior/cadet World titles.

He also has a minor function in an AIBA commission.

Fighters trained

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Cuban National Team boxers

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Name Weight Class Notes
Roberto Balado heavyweight
Enrique Carrión bantamweight
Alfredo Duvergel middleweight
Candelario Duvergel welterweight
Angel Espinosa middleweight
Rolando Garbey light middleweight
Julio González lightweight
Raúl González flyweight
Roberto Guerra welterweight
Jorge Gutiérrez middleweight
Ariel Hernández middleweight
Jorge Hernández flyweight
Juan Bautista Hernández Pérez bantamweight
Juan Hernández Sierra welterweight
Ángel Herrera Vera lightweight
Adolfo Horta featherweight
Mario Kindelán lightweight
Rogelio Marcelo flyweight
Armando Martínez middleweight
Luis Martínez middleweight
Orlando Palacios featherweight
Hipólito Ramos light flyweight
Enrique Regüeiferos light welterweight
Pedro Orlando Reyes flyweight
Douglas Rodríguez flyweight
Freddy Rojas light heavyweight
Ricardo Rojas Frías light heavyweight
Maikro Romero flyweight
Pablo Romero light heavyweight
Félix Savón heavyweight
Sixto Soria light heavyweight
Teófilo Stevenson heavyweight
Eddy Suarez bantamweight
Reinaldo Valiente lightweight
Héctor Vinent light welterweight

Cuban boxers who later turned pro

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Name Weight Class Notes
Pedro Carrión heavyweight
Joel Casamayor featherweight
Eliseo Castillo light heavyweight
Eliecer Castillo heavyweight
Juan Carlos Gómez light heavyweight
Jorge Luis González heavyweight
Diosbelys Hurtado lightweight
Guillermo Rigondeaux bantamweight
Alexis Rubalcaba heavyweight
Odlanier Solís heavyweight

Other Cuban boxers

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Name Weight Class Notes
Eulalio Puentes Martinez lightweight

References

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  1. ^ Historias de Vida : El Maestro Alcides Sagarra
  2. ^ "Альсидес САГАРРА, кубинский тренер по боксу: «Своими победами я обязан СССР»" [Alcides Sagarra, Cuban boxing trainer: 'I owe my successes to the USSR.'] (in Russian). Granma (2000). 23 July 2002 – via Izvestia.
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