Response from DT, Rafael Iznaga, to the complaint of boxer Yuberjen Martínez

Recently, the Colombian boxer Yuberjen Martínez indicated that the Ministry of Sports He had suspended his financial support for eight months and said that this led to problems with the team's coach. Rafael Iznaga.

“I had several problems with the technical part and with the Ministry of Sports, because they suspended my financial support for eight months, through no fault of my own. It was because yes,” Martínez said on Caracol Radio's VBar.

Clarification

“Now we have the right to be professionals and at the same time fight as an amateur. Teacher Rafael Iznaga was filled with envy and rage. He sent a letter to the Ministry saying that I did not belong to amateur boxing, even knowing that I had spoken with him and told him that I was ready to represent Colombia. At no time did I refuse a competition in the Olympic cycle. We had our differences and they decided to remove me from the program, despite being the one that has given Colombia the most results in results. If they do that to me, imagine those who are just starting out,” commented the boxer.

This Sunday, Iznaga issued a statement explaining what really happened with that issue.

“By Yuberjen Martínez not attending thes South American Games in Asunción In October 2022, I asked the Ministry of Sports to suspend the boxer from the Supported Athlete program for only one (1) month since he prioritized his professional fight and did not train in the concentration for the South American Games. However, by personal decision of the minister at that time, María Isabel Urrutia, It was decided to exclude him from the program completely despite our insistence that this should not be the case and his reintegration into the program was barely achieved due to the gold medal obtained by Yuber in the 2023 Central American and Caribbean Games”Iznaga said.

And he added: “Your hypothesis about “envy and rage” on my part lacks truth. I neither envy nor anger with him or with anyone because they go professional, in the specific case of Yuberjen Martínez I told him that he could train with the National Team and fight for the second time as a professional in Barranquilla in September 2022. But he preferred to go to Barranquilla and train there for professional combat. In my experience as a coach I can say that training for professional fights reduces the boxer's hitting frequency, so Yuberjen would not be fit to face the South American Games.”

Inzaga clarifies that discipline prevails in the Colombian boxing team and insisted that there are no preferences for anyone.

“In this sense, let it be clear: in the Colombian Boxing Team, discipline prevails and there is no preference for anyone. It's for everyone. If Yuberjen is currently in the National Team and with support, it is at the insistence of me and the president of the Federation, Lic. Alberto Torres Martínez, because he had renounced it. We met on several occasions with the Positioning director William Nieto and his work team to reinstate Yuberjen into the Altius program, which we also did with Pablo Villar and his work teaml Colombian Olympic Committee. So this destroys any hypothesis of “envy and rage,” said the DT.

Iznaga clarified that Ingrit Valencia's support was never withdrawn, just as Martínez said, and that rather she resigned from the National Team and “at our insistence (the president and myself) returned and, thank God, she managed to get a place in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.”

“Yuber gave those statements at a bad time. He has
always been treated with respect and dedication, so much so that he is now the trusted man in his category, 51 Kgs, to reach the place for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games because we know that it is a card to give us another Olympic medal as he already did in Rio de Janeiro 2016”, stated Iznaga.

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