The short version
- El Nuevo Día reports that Jesfred Torres Santiago defeated China's Zhengkun Zhang by unanimous decision in the semifinals at the Dakar Expo Center
- According to the Comité Olímpico de Puerto Rico four judges scored the bout 30-26 for Torres Santiago and one scored it 30-25
- El Vocero reported that Torres Santiago earned at least bronze by knocking out Mauritius' Jean Julian Agathe in the first round on Tuesday
- El Nuevo Día states Torres Santiago will face Thailand's Siwa Chainarong for gold on Thursday at 9:08 a.m. Puerto Rico time
Semifinal victory secures silver
Puerto Rican boxer Jesfred Torres Santiago is one win away from gold at the Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026. El Nuevo Día reported that the athlete defeated China's Zhengkun Zhang by unanimous decision in the 60kg semifinals on Wednesday at the Dakar Expo Center in Senegal.
The Comité Olímpico de Puerto Rico told El Nuevo Día that Torres Santiago controlled the fight from the opening bell. Four judges scored the contest 30-26 in favor of the Puerto Rican and one scored it 30-25. He won every round, including a 10-8 second round after Zhang received two standing eight counts.
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Path to the final
Torres Santiago had already guaranteed a medal on Tuesday. El Vocero reported that the fighter from Toa Baja stopped Mauritius' Jean Julian Agathe by knockout at 2:52 of the first round in the quarterfinals. That victory advanced him to the semifinals and assured him of at least bronze.
El Nuevo Día noted that Torres Santiago received a bye in the round of 16 and made his first appearance in the quarterfinals. With the semifinal win he improved to 2-0 in Dakar and will now contest the gold-medal bout against Thailand's Siwa Chainarong.
Where the sources differ
Both El Nuevo Día and El Vocero agree that Jesfred Torres Santiago secured a medal at the Youth Olympics Dakar 2026 in the 60kg category. El Vocero reported the Tuesday quarterfinal knockout victory over Jean Julian Agathe of Mauritius and said it guaranteed at least bronze while scheduling the Wednesday semifinal for 9:45 a.m. Puerto Rico time. El Nuevo Día gave a more detailed account of the Wednesday unanimous decision over China's Zhengkun Zhang, including exact judge scores, round-by-round dominance and the precise Thursday final time of 9:08 a.m. Puerto Rico time against Thailand's Siwa Chainarong. The sources differ slightly on the guaranteed medal color before the final, with El Vocero calling it bronze and El Nuevo Día stating silver.
What the reports do not say
The reports do not state Torres Santiago's age, the exact weight he made on the scale, or any comments from the boxer or his coaches after the semifinal. They also omit details on the size of the Puerto Rican delegation in Dakar, whether other Puerto Rican boxers remain in contention, and what time the gold-medal bout will be broadcast in Puerto Rico.
Sources
Every link below was opened and checked when this story was published. Official means a government body, agency or the organization itself; Reporting means a news outlet.
- Official El boricua Jesfred Torres peleará por el oro en las Olimpiadas de la Juventud Dakar 2026
- Reporting El boricua Jesfred Torres peleará por el oro en las Olimpiadas de la Juventud Dakar 2026
- Reporting Jesfred Torres asegura medalla para Puerto Rico con nocaut en las Olimpiadas Juveniles
How we checked this
El Nuevo Día provided the most complete account of the semifinal including judge scorecards and round details while El Vocero focused on the quarterfinal knockout and initial medal guarantee. The scheduled opponent and exact final time rest solely on El Nuevo Día.
Compiled by the PuertoRico.com News Desk from the reports and statements listed above, and checked against them before publishing. It does not include original interviews. Spot an error? Email support@puertorico.com with a link to this story.
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