Stories such as that of boxer Saúl ‘Canelo’ Álvarez, middleweight champion and who won the 2018 National Sports Award today is a sign of Mexico’s development for the world, highlighted the nation’s president Enrique Peña Nieto.
“When our Mexican athletes succeed in different parts of the world it is because the country in unison is also achieving higher levels of development,” acknowledged Peña Nieto at the annual award ceremony of the highest recognition of national sport.
‘Canelo’ Álvarez, who was crowned middleweight champion by defeating Kazakh Gennady Golovkin on September 15 in Las Vegas, Nevada, was one of the eight winners this Thursday in the Adolfo López Mateos room of the official residence of Los Pinos .
The 28-year-old boxer snatched the World Boxing Council (WBC) and World Boxing Association (WBA) titles from Golovkin in a rematch after drawing in 2017.
The second fight had to be postponed for a year because ‘Canelo’ tested positive for clenbuterol in an anti-doping test and received a six-month suspension by the Nevada Athletic Commission.
“‘Canelo’ has had the mental and physical strength to go against the criticism for doping, he went ahead and conquered the world at the top of the ring, it is something great for boxing, it dimensions and puts it on the international map,” he said. Mauricio Sulaimán, president of the WBC on the recognition of Álvarez.
‘Canelo’ (50-1-2 and 34 KO’s) will face on December 15 at Madison Square Garden in New York with the British Rocky Fielding, super middleweight champion of the WBA.
The Mexican fighter paused in his preparation and traveled from his camp in San Diego, California, to the Mexican capital to be honored.
Along with ‘Canelo’ Álvarez, the athletes Alegna González, a gold medalist in the world walking championship; Samantha Terán maximum exponent of squash in Mexico and the Paralympic athlete José de Jesús Castillo, champion of ‘powerlifting’.
The award was also received by businessman Olegario Vázquez Raña for his legacy in sports shooting and Salvador Quirarte, owner of the Charros de Jalisco and promoter of baseball in Mexico.
Iván Ruiz in cycling and Ignacio Zamudio in march were decorated in the category of coaches. EFE