Castro won't punish repentant Cuban boxers

HAVANA: Cuban leader Fidel Castro has said that he would not punish Cuban boxers, who deserted last month during the Rio de Janeiro-2007 Pan American Games, then repented and wanted to return to Cuba.

"No type of arrest awaits these citizens nor any kind of punishment," Castro said in a new article of his series 'Reflections' published in Cuba's official daily Juventud Rebelde here Sunday.

Boxers Guillermo Rigondeux, 26, double Olympic champion in the welterweight category, and Erisandy Lara, 24, world welterweight champion, apparently deserted July 22 prior to their weigh-in for their respective competitions in Rio.

Information from Brazil indicated both Cuban boxers were located in a beach resort near Rio and that they repented about deserting and wanted to go back to Cuba.

"Brazilian authorities can be calm before the unavoidable campaigns from adversaries. Cuba knows how to behave according to the circumstances," Castro said in his article "Politics and Sports".

Brazil's immigration officials will deport the boxers when the Cuban government grants them documents and travel tickets.