Cuba strengthens its training for the U18 Baseball World Cup

HAVANA, Cuba, August 8 (ACN) After three absences, Cuba is intensifying its preparations for the 35-athlete group that will form the national team for the upcoming U18 Baseball World Cup, scheduled to be held in Japan September 9 -14.

The pre-selection team, led by two-time national champion Abeicy Pantoja, is preparing in the eastern province of Las Tunas, where, in addition to regular practice, it is holding matches with local teams to ensure the best possible form.

On Japanese soil, Cubans, placed in Group A, will debut on September 5 against South Africa and then face Italy, Japan, Puerto Rico, and Korea, in that order, in search of one of the three spots in the super round.

The other teams in the preliminary round are the United States, Australia, Germany, Panama, and Chinese Taipei.

The top three finishers in each bracket will advance to the super round from September 11-13, and the champion will be determined by the top two finishers in the second phase of the tournament on September 14.

Cuba's last participation in a tournament of this category occurred in 2017, when it finished sixth in the final standings and was subsequently left without spots for the 2019, 2022 (delayed by COVID-19), and 2023 tournaments, according to the archives of the WBSC website.

Between 2012 and 2023, US leads the medal table with five titles, while Chinese Taipei and the reigning champion, Japan, each have one gold.

However, when adding the junior world championships, which began in 1981, Cuba is the all-time winner, with 11 crowns, one more than the Americans, followed by South Korea (five), Chinese Taipei (three), and Japan and Canada (both with one), as the only ones to have climbed to the top of the podium.