Latino boxers struggle to raise funds for Olympic dream
*We tend to think of Olympic athletes every four years, but their training and find raising is uninterrupted. The hopes of many Latino boxers rest on an every-four-years chance. They also rest on their ability to pay for that opportunity. VL
A pair of Latino boxers from Southern California have their sights set on the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro and are physically up the task, but a lack of funding is an obstacle ahead of next week’s USA Boxing National Championships in Spokane, Washington, a springboard for the U.S. Olympic team trials.
“I haven’t been poor, but there’s a lot of stuff that keeps me from doing things, just because of money,” Rudy Garcia, an amateur boxer in the bantamweight (123-pound) category, told Efe.
An 18-year-old from the south side of Los Angeles, Garcia has a record of 81-16 and has received numerous offers to turn professional, but he has turned them down and opted for a longer path to achieving his dream.
“If he can make it to the Olympic Games and win, the contract offers will be better. He’s young so he can make this effort, and I support him,” Rodolfo Garcia, Rudy’s father, said.
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[Photo courtesy of Highland Community News]