The grandmother Hilda, extraordinary and pizpireta Cuban, gave him a nickname ‘Prophet’ to his grandson Enmanuel Reyes Pla. Deeply religious, he thought it was the best way to protect the young boxer since he was five years old because in Cuba you get boxed or you might have problems. And Enmanuel promised: he will win an Olympic medal. A prophet always delivers. Reyes Pl won a new medal for the Spanish Olympic team, a medal 24 years after the silver won by national coach Rafa Lozano. A medal of which we only need to know the color. On his boots he wrote passages from the Bible which were read to him by ‘abu’.
He controlled the match Victor Schelstraete initially, the brutal Belgian boxer took the initiative and punished with his direct shots. “Block that hand,” the coach asked him because the rival tried to make contact, not always legally. Perfect on the counter, showing off his hook at the end of the second round and holding the pace in the third. He won unopposed and used to raise his arms in victory.
Emmanuelall spontaneity, imitated the art of bullfighting, responding to the ‘olé’ that came to him from the stands and retired to prayer.
He prayed a lot before experiencing this magical moment. Born and raised Havanadecided to move to To Coruña where he has a family in 2017. But leaving Cuba is not easy, so the first stop is Belarus and from there to Moscow. It’s cold in the capital of Russia and I have no papers. They warned him not to leave the hotel because if he left and they asked for his passport, he would pay the police or take him to a remote road and he would have to fight the -20 degree temperature almost naked. This is what others like him who are looking for an opportunity away from the heat say Cuba. He stayed there for three months. Of Moscow able to fly to Austria where he requested political asylum but when trying to advance through Germany They held him for a month. In those situations you just have to pray. Finally they exiled him to Austria again and there he got a ticket to Barcelona. No one asked for his passport. Truly, a miracle.
The Spanish Boxing Federation, led by Felipe Martinezexpedited the nationalization of Reyes Pla following Rafa Lozano’s request. The coach and his wife consider Cuban like family.
Reyes Pla is Cuban by blood and Galician by adoption. He loves to dance and the heat, his Cuban rice, the music he grew up with. But he was able to bring his son to Spain Emmanuel Pla Jr.tall and strong, with curly hair, smiling, enjoying watching Dad’s box even though the Prophet didn’t want him to do it, too many punches. His mother Rosa Maria Pla Tamayo is still in Havana.
His accent is playful, sweet, Caribbean, Cuban in all its expressions, he dances in the ring with his 92 gestures with the joy that his fighting spirit gives him. He’s going for the gold, so far he’s already got a medal.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Robert Maynard, and I am a passionate journalist with experience in sports writing. For the last few years, I have been writing for Today Times Live. My main focus has been on sports-related stories and features. With my strong background in journalism and extensive knowledge of the industry, I am able to provide readers with well-crafted pieces that are both informative and engaging.
