Renowned Cuban boxer Mario Kindelán, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and three-time world champion, shared insights into his close relationship with Fidel Castro during an interview on the podcast La Remontada, which aired on the Livan Deportes TV YouTube channel. His comments unveil the extent to which politics infiltrated every aspect of Cuban sports, highlighting a troubling dependency on a system where athletes had to reach out directly to the dictator to address injustices within the INDER, an organization rife with bureaucracy, negligence, and corruption.
The Dictator's Grip on Cuban Sports
Kindelán recounted an incident from the year 2000, just before the Sydney Olympic Games, when his coaches attempted to compel him to compete in the 57-kilogram division. Unhappy with this decision, he bypassed the sports structure of the country and contacted Castro directly. "I had Fidel's personal number because he gave it to me for when I faced any situations in our country," he revealed. The response was swift: within two hours, INDER received orders to amend their decision. Kindelán went on to compete in the 60-kilogram category, winning the gold medal, which he publicly dedicated to Castro. This anecdote starkly illustrates how Cuban sports operated under communism: dependent on the whims of the supreme leader rather than solid institutions or transparent procedures.
The Illusion of Support and the Reality of Abandonment
In a 2023 interview, Kindelán recounted another episode from 2004, when Hurricane Charley demolished the homes of Odlanier Solís, Yan Bartelemí, and Guillermo Rigondeaux. At that time, Humberto Rodríguez, the president of INDER, told him he could do nothing. Once more, Kindelán turned to Castro, and the issue was resolved within hours, allowing the three athletes to reach Athens and become Olympic champions. However, what seemed to be a "strength of the system" — a Commander sensitive to athletes' needs — was actually its greatest weakness. If institutions worked properly, no athlete would need to call the country's leader to secure a roof, sports equipment, or address an injustice.
Kindelán himself experienced this firsthand: after retiring in 2004, he ceased to be of value to the official propaganda and was left behind. In that interview, the multi-champion confessed that he had to sell one of his Olympic medals to feed his family. "I sold it because I found myself in a critical situation. I had almost nothing to eat or to support my daughters," he admitted. Meanwhile, INDER not only ignored him but also punished him: when he found work in Bahrain as a coach, the organization withdrew the meager stipend he received — 7,400 Cuban pesos, a paltry sum. This came after they had hidden foreign job offers from him for years, lying to federations eager to hire him.
The former pugilist also denounced the theft of trophies he had donated to the INDER Museum in Holguín, including a valuable dog he received in Ireland. No explanations were given, nor were any responsibilities assumed. For Kindelán, the decay of the Cuban sports system is evident: leaders without a sports background seeking only compliant coaches and athletes, widespread corruption, benefits reserved for bureaucrats, and total neglect of sports icons once celebrated as symbols of the revolution.
Respected Abroad, Disrespected at Home
In 2923, Kindelán finally left to work in Bahrain, where he found the respect INDER never offered him: "They treat me like an Olympic champion, they embrace me, greet me, recognize me. In Cuba, it's the people who love me, not the leaders. For them, Olympic champions don't exist," he stated. Mario Kindelán's case starkly illustrates the corruption of sports under communism: a system that used him as a propaganda tool when convenient and then discarded him into obscurity. His testimony serves as both a confession of how the Castro regime turned sports into a political instrument and a denunciation of a present where Cuba's Olympic heroes survive more on their own merit than through state support.
Understanding Mario Kindelán's Struggles in Cuban Sports
How did Mario Kindelán's relationship with Fidel Castro impact his sports career?
Mario Kindelán's direct line to Fidel Castro allowed him to bypass the bureaucratic hurdles of the Cuban sports system, ensuring he could compete in his preferred weight class and resolve issues that arose due to the inefficiencies and corruption within INDER.
What does Kindelán's story reveal about the Cuban sports system under communism?
Kindelán's experiences highlight a deeply flawed system where athletes relied on the whims of the authoritarian regime rather than on reliable institutions, exposing widespread corruption and neglect of sports figures once they were no longer useful for propaganda.
Why was Mario Kindelán forced to sell one of his Olympic medals?
After retiring, Mario Kindelán faced financial difficulties and a lack of support from the Cuban sports authorities, which forced him to sell one of his Olympic medals to provide for his family.