Exclusive video |  | "We've got a golden opportunity to get in first and invite them here to Newcastle."
Glenn McCrory | Cuban skills - Tyneside talent | | |
Our Man in HavanaGlenn McCrory is the North East's most successful boxer. He's also a man with an Olympic dream. Glenn wants to bring the cream of world boxing to the North East of England. Backed by heavyweight sporting names such as Lord Coe, Alan Shearer, and Jonathan Edwards, we follow him as he sets out from his gym on Tyneside to travel to Cuba. But will he realise his boxing dream? Golden opportunityBack in 1989 Glenn McCrory's own personal dream came true when he won boxing's world championship IBF cruiserweight title. Eighteen years on he's got another dream - to bring the Cuban boxing team to Newcastle to train for the next Olympics.  | | Cuban coach Alberto works out with Tyneside boxers |
He's already staged a minor coup - by luring two of the best Cuban coaches to his gym in Newbiggin Hall. Alberto Gonzalez and Alberto Perez are already training in Newcastle. They may still struggle with the Geordie lingo but they're the real deal - part of the Cuban boxing miracle that won 48 medals in just seven Olympic games.
Now Glenn wants the rest of the team: "I want the North East to be the first place in the country to seal a deal for a 2012 training camp... "We've got a golden opportunity to get in first and invite them here to Newcastle to train in preparation for the 2012 Olympics."
But even Glenn's best friends think it's an impossible task. Dream teamGlenn has enlisted the support of some of sport's biggest names in his mission near-impossible.
Amongst his supporters is golden boy Jonathan Edwards, who struck gold in the triple jump at the Sydney Olympics. Alan Shearer video |  | Sporting supporter - Alan Shearer Image - PA Images | | |
Edwards is also a big boost to Glenn's campaign because he was a key member of the team that brought the Olympics to London. But if the plan's really going to take off, he needs even more celebrities to get behind it. So Glenn has signed up Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer and World Cup winner Jack Charlton.
Watch Jonathan Edwards interview
His final coup has been to get the unofficial backing of Lord Coe - the head of the Olympic committee. Watch Lord Coe interview
Boxing clever As well as his team of sporting icons, Glenn has been busy talking to the movers and shakers from the worlds of sport, business and economic development. He's enlisted the support of Sport England, the official body that promotes sport, as well as One North East who are responsible for steering business opportunities in the region. If the Cubans accept Glenn's invitation, he'll also need local councils on board. Newcastle City Council is already in his corner.  | | Total commitment - Glenn even boasts a Cuban tattoo |
He's also been to see Derwentside Council whose plans for a sports village could accommodate the Cuban Olympic team. The plans are starting to fall into place. On top of his Cuban mission, Glenn still got the gym to run and fighters to bring on. Mark Clauzel, a welterweight, only just missed out in this year's Amateur Boxing Association finals - and Glenn believes that he can go all the way. If anyone can help Mark to develop his skills, it's the Cubans. Steve Bunce The Amateur Boxing Association has seen what a difference the Cubans are making already. Although they were a bit suspicious at the start, they're now backing Glenn all the way. Now his biggest challenge is to persuade the Cubans. Man with a missionWe follow Glenn as he flies thousands of miles to Havana in Cuba to lobby their boxing team and sporting bodies. It's his one shot to get the Cuban boxers training in his gym for 2012. The first person he meets is Jose Gomez, an Olympic gold medallist who was trained by Alberto, who's back at Glenn's gym in Newcastle.  | | Cuban mission - Glenn McCrory in Havana |
He's impressed by Glenn's plans for the Cuban boxers.
Next stop is a meeting with Alcides Sagarra, the man who masterminded Cuba's boxing miracle - and an important person to get on side. The final round of meetings is at the Sports Ministry where Glenn meets Jorge Pardo, the man who can make or break his plans for the London Olympics. He seems impressed by the sporting facilities the North East has to offer, and Glenn is upbeat about the outcome: "Although he hasn't yet signed on the dotted line - you know, I think we're winning
"
Heavyweight decisions But Glenn's invitation still has to go before the men who run boxing in Cuba, the real heavyweights - former fighters who were once the best in the world. They include Savon, who won gold in Barcelona, Atlanta and Sydney, and Teofilo Stevenson, a gold medallist in Munich, Montreal and Moscow.  | | Heavyweight hearing - the Cubans listen to Glenn's bid |
Teofilo isn't just an icon - he's number two in the Boxing Commission. He's a national hero who trail-blazed for Cuba, and is acknowledged as the Mohammed Ali of amateur boxing. Glenn remains confident that he may realise his dream: "I think I may have cracked it. I probably won't know for sure until next year, after the Olympics in Beijing. "What I do know is I've done all I can... "I think it's been a great success."
With Glenn still lobbying the great and the good, it looks like this fight is going down to the final round. Links relating to this story:The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites | 
Inside Out - North East and Cumbria: Friday March 23, 2007
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