1999 World Amateur Boxing Championships

The Men's 1999 World Amateur Boxing Championships were held in Houston, Texas from August 15 to August 29. The tenth edition of this competition, a year before the Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, was organised by the world governing body for amateur boxing AIBA.

Controversy

The Cuban delegation in Houston, Texas withdrew in protest on the last day of the tournament. Earlier in the week, the Cuban Boxing Association had formally filed a complaint against the arbitrary treatment received by several Cubans who were deprived of their victories in semifinals.

The complaint led to the suspension of a judge and the banning of four others from participating in bouts were Cuban boxers were involved. But the calls for fairness went unheeded and the Cuban delegation pulled out of the tournament after boxer Juan Hernández Sierra was "robbed" of his gold medal. Cuban boxing officials asked that the bout of heavyweight fighter Félix Savón be postponed until the International Amateur Boxing Association could review the video of Hernandez Sierra's match with Russian Timur Gaydalov. That request was denied and Savón did not enter the ring, thus losing his title to US boxer Michael Bennett. Before the scheduled start of the fight, Cuban coaches and Savón circled the ring in protest waving a Cuban flag.

Translation of "1999 World Amateur Boxing Championships"

German: Boxweltmeisterschaften 1999, Spanish: Campeonato Mundial de Boxeo Aficionado de 1999, French: Championnats du monde de boxe amateur 1999, Hungarian: 1999. évi amatőr ökölvívó-világbajnokság, Polish: Mistrzostwa Świata w Boksie 1999, Finnish: Nyrkkeilyn maailmanmestaruuskilpailut 1999.