Baseball

The team of Pinar del Río to represent Cuba at the upcoming Caribbean Baseball Series will be championed today at the western territory, saluting the 162nd anniversary of the birth of national hero José Martí.

Under the command of Alfonso Urquiola, the selection of 28 players observes a brief training period at Pinar del Rio's Capitan San Luis Baseball Stadium, on the eve of its departure to the Puerto Rican city of San Juan on January 31st, venue of the Caribbean Classic from February 2nd to 8th.

Composed of 3 catchers, 9 infielders, 7 outfielders and 9 pitchers, the staff will be Cuba's trump card in its 2nd consecutive participation in these Series, again as a guest country.

The Cuban team will debut on February 2nd against Mexico, the next day will rival Dominican Republic, then will collide with the host, to close the qualifying phase on the 5th of February, facing Venezuela.

The first 4 places will play crossed semifinals on Saturday 7th, and the winners of those matches will star the Grand Final on Sunday the 8th, as the remaining challenges, at the Hiram Bithorn Stadium in the Puerto Rican capital.

Cuba ranked last seat on its return to the Caribbean Baseball Series, after half a century of absence, with 1 win and 3 losses in the fair disputed early last year in Margarita Island, Venezuela, where the Mexico's Naranjeros de Hermosillo team was crowned.

NORCECA Beach Volleyball Circuit

For 5th consecutive year, the resort of Varadero, located in Matanzas province, the most important in Cuba, will host one of the stages of the North, Central America, Caribbean Beach Volleyball Circuit (NORCECA), organizers informed.

From August 26th to the 31st the competition will have a stop in the major Cuban sun and beach destination, located 140 km east of Havana.

According to the schedule, the event will open in Guatemala from May 18th to the 23rd and will close in Trinidad and Tobago from November 11th to the 16th.

Other venues of NORCECA will include Mexico, the United States, El Salvador, the Cayman Islands, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Canada, Saint Lucia and Antigua and Barbuda.

Diving

Cuban divers José Antonio Guerra and Jeinkler Aguirre will attend this year at 6 stops of the World Series of the discipline, officials said.

The national commissioner diving, Rolando Ruiz Pedreguera confirmed to the JIT digital diary that the season also includes their participation in synchronized platform at the Pan-American Games and the World Championship.

The pair Guerra-Aguirre will debut from 13th to 15th March in Beijing stop, and then jump in Dubai, United Arab (19th to 21st of the same month), Kazan, Russia (24 to 26th April) and London Emirates (1st to May 3rd).

Finally, the Cuban divers will also be at the stop of Windsor, Canada (22nd to 24th May) and Mexico City (29th to 31st that month).

The other major events of the season will be the Pan Toronto, from 9th to 27th July, and the World Championship of water sports, between July 24th and August 9th in Kazan.