Turkish boxing readies for Cuban coaching

Cuban trainer Carlos Yvan Fuentes Villanueva (above), known as "The Mourinho of Boxing," has recently been handed the top job by the Turkish Boxing Federation (TBF).

TBF President Eyüp Gözgeç, talking to the Anadolu Agency, confirmed the decision and expressed high hopes for the national team in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics under Villanueva's guidance.

"We invited him to watch Turkey's Individual Boxing Championship held last week in Bursa in remembrance of the July 15 Martyrs. We have worked with Russian and Cuban coaches before, but we could not get the desired results. However, I believe we achieve important international successes with Villanueva in the long run. We prepared for the 2016 Olympics with local coaches and got success. It was better than we expected, but not sufficient. In four years' time, Turkish boxing will make its mark on world boxing. I hope we will also achieve phenomenal successes in the European and World Championships. But, our real target is the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. We want to get results that make our people proud and have everyone listen to our national anthem," Gözgeç said.

He said the TBF preferred a foreign coach to set the standards higher not because of failures.

"I hope with someone like Villanueva, the performance of our athletes will improve and the Turkish coaches-to-be will also get a learning opportunity," Gözgeç added. "He will firstly examine Turkish boxing and our athletes. With instructions from the Youth and Sports Minister, Akif Çağatay Kılıç, we reached a deal with the Cuban coach. He will not only train the national team, but also contribute to our coaches' education."

Gözgeç continued to praise the new addition to the TBF, saying, "We wouldn't have enough time, if I start talking about his career. He is one of the most prominent boxing coaches in the world."