TOP-NOTCH Cuban boxing coaches Juan Enrique Steyners Tissert and Dagoberto Rojas Scott have already arrived and will immediately start honing Harry Tañamor, so far the country’s lone representative to the Beijing Olympics.

Manny Lopez, president of the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines, confirmed Wednesday the Cubans arrival.

“Yes, they are already here, they’ve just arrived this [Wednesday] morning,” Lopez told the BusinessMirror. “Magpapahinga lang sila ng konti and then they will go to Baguio City to join our boxers in their training there.”

“They said they want to start with their training program as soon as possible. Konting panahon na lang kasi bago ang Olympics,” Lopez added.

Tissert and Scott were personally recruited by Lopez and Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman William Ramirez during their recent visit to Cuba.

Lopez said the PSC will pay the Cubans’ salaries as well as their board and lodging. He said the 57-year-old Tissert will receive a monthly salary of $1,800 (P72,000), while the 41-year-old Scott will get $1,200 (or P48,000).

So far, only Tañamor, a light-flyweight, has secured a ticket to the Beijing Games after winning a silver medal in the 2007 Aiba World Championships in Chicago last year.

But the arrival of the Cuban coaches is expected to boost the country’s chance of securing more slots for Beijing when local pugs compete in the second and final Asian qualifying in Kazakhstan next month.

“Malaki ang tiwala namin sa kanila and we are looking forward to achieve better results. We hope to have more qualifiers next month, and to finally clinch our first Olympic gold medal in Beijing,” Lopez said.

Tissert and Scott are members of the Cuban national boxing team coaching staff and are credited for more than a dozen achievements in the international scene by Cuba which has won a total 55 Olympic boxing gold medals. Cubans are considered the best amateur boxers in the world.

Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco clinched a silver medal in 1996 in Atlanta. He was trained by world renowned Cuban coach Jose Raul Liranza.

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