Baseball5

Havana, Sept 26 (JIT) - Cuba will attend with a powerful set of eight players to the II Baseball5 World Cup, to be held at the Central Harbourfront Event Space, in Hong Kong, from October 7 to 12.

The squad led by Pablo Terry, from the capital, intends to keep the title achieved in the last edition of Mexico 2022, from which now five players of excellent competitive endorsement are repeating.

The group is headed by Havana midfielder Briandy Molina, considered the “legend” of baseball5, and the Guantánamo starter Chaquira Aspiazú. 

Molina won the Most Valuable Player nomination in the Mexican competition, while Aspiazú came very close to imitating him, but lost in a hard-fought battle with Japan's Ayako Rokkaku. 

The other three players who can repeat the world title are Orlando Amador (HAB) Cristian Basabe (ART), and Lietis Arcia (SSP).

Terry's team is completed by Yoel Blanco (GTM) and Haila Gonzalez (ART), world champions in the youth category in Ankara 2023, along with the debutant and national champion Yiliena Otamendez (GTM).

Twelve countries will participate in the competition, divided into two groups. Cuba was placed in key A, along with China Taipei, South Africa, Venezuela, Lithuania, and the hosts. Australia, China, France, Japan, Mexico, and Tunisia will compete in the B group.

According to the competition rules, the top three finishers in each group will secure a place in the Super Round -on October 10 and 11-, from which the two finalists will emerge in pursuit of the title held by Cuba. And it is ready to keep it.