Ecuador's capital city, Quito is welcoming the 9th American Men's Continental Elite Boxing Championships this week where the American Boxing Confederation's best athletes are competing for the medals. The finals will be take place on June 19th in the Julio Cesar Hidalgo Coliseum.

This will be the last American Continental event for the participating boxers from Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela and the Virgin Islands to compete in the old eleven weight classes, 48kg, 51kg, 54kg, 57kg, 60kg, 64kg, 69kg, 75kg, 81kg, 91kg and over 91kg, due to the implementation of the new AIBA categories, which will have to be followed after September 1st.

Although spectators will feel the absence of the US squad, they will be watching great competitions. Cuba claimed seven gold medals at the last edition of these championships in Mexico City last year, while host Mexico and Brazil took two golds each.

Some popular boxers will aslso be missed, including reigning flyweight World Champion McWilliams Arroyo of Puerto Rico who turned professional, Beijing Olympic Games quarterfinalist Carlos Gongora of Ecuador and AIBA World Championships silver medalist Alfonso Blanco of Venezuela.

The Cuban squad is stronger than last year, with teammates reigning World Champion Roniel Iglesias, Olympic Games silver medalist duo Carlos Banteur and Emilio Correa and light flyweight class teenager Roberto Vicente, the youngest participant in Quito, all fighting for their nation.

Puerto Rico's star boxer World Championships silver medalist Jose Pedraza, Youth World Champion Jonathan Gonzalez, Youth World Championships silver medalist Emanuel Rodriguez and former Cadet World Champion Keith Tapia will all be representing the national Puerto Rican squad, which is the youngest among the entered teams.

The Mexican squad will be competing with two Youth World Champions, Beijing Olympian and AIBA World Championships bronze medalist Oscar Valdez and Oscar Molina, gold medal contenders in the featherweight and in welterweight classes.

Source: AIBA