Uruguay today said its last goodbye to the boxer Dogomar Martínez, who died this Sunday in Montevideo at 86 years of age and “maximum reference” of this sport in the South American country, as the president of the Uruguayan Boxing Federation (FUB) told Efe , Juan Carlos Montiel.
He was the “maximum reference” of this sport, an “idol” who “inspired a generation” of Uruguayan fighters and “is a loss” that leaves “very sad everyone within the sport of boxing,” said Montiel.
National and sports authorities, friends and family attended the funeral of Martínez today in the Uruguayan capital to pay tribute to this former boxer who, inside and outside the ring, won the praise of his own and strangers of this sporting discipline.
“He was an excellent person, he was that veteran, old and wise of boxing who gave a lot of advice to all of us who came after him. I think we have learned a lot from him, “said Montiel.
Martínez was born in Montevideo on July 30, 1929 and his father went to register him as “Don Omar”, but because of his accent the person in charge of doing the procedure misunderstood and wrote him down as Dogomar.
At the age of 12 he put on boxing gloves for the first time and in 1951 he became a professional boxer, jumping into the ring in 57 bouts, of which he won 49, lost 3 and added 5 draws.
He was South American middle heavyweight champion 3 times and that category represented Uruguay at the 1948 Olympic Games, in London, when he was 18 years old.
One of his most memorable fights took place in Argentina in 1953 against the American Archie Moore, world heavyweight champion, against whom the Uruguayan fighter lost on points after enduring the 10 rounds agreed for the evening.
The fight between Martínez and Moore “marked a break in the relations between Uruguayans and Argentines” since at that time the Government of Juan Domingo Perón did not allow Uruguayans to enter Argentina, the Uruguayan national deputy director of Sports, Alfredo, reminded Efe Etchandy, who attended the funeral.
“Dogomar Martínez was one of those people who became idols and symbols for all sports fans and for the entire country because anyone who spoke of boxing the first name that emerged was Dogomar,” Etchandy added.
For his part, the Vice Minister of Tourism and Sports of Uruguay, Benjamin Liberoff, told the press that Martínez made Uruguay known through boxing at a time when the world was not as globalized as it is today.
«It seems to me that today we are physically losing an important factor for the sport and for the world positioning of Uruguay. But at the same time recognizing a very important figure for all of us, “said Liberoff.
In addition, he appreciated Martínez’s solidarity in accepting in 2006 to participate in the government program ‘Knock Out a Drugs’ to “combat the scourge of drugs” through boxing.
The President of Uruguay, Tabaré Vázquez, through a statement published on the official website of the Presidency of the Republic, expressed “his deep sorrow at the death of the famous boxer.” EFE
Uruguay fires fighter Dogomar Martínez, the “maximum reference” of his boxing
