La Rosa aspires to a coaching position at the baseball academy in Villa Clara, his province.   Photo: Carolina Vilches Monzón

Havana, October 21 (RHC)-- Catcher Yulexis La Rosa, a former member of Cuba's baseball national teams, confirmed Thursday his retirement from active baseball after 21 National Series.

Speaking to Prensa Latina news agency in the central Cuban city of Santa Clara, he explained that the current COVID-19 pandemic has interrupted the normal conduct of the Cuban championship, which is why he has not played for more than a year.

"I have lost all physical levels and as I am already more than four decades old, it is very difficult for me to reach the sporting form in two months of training for the upcoming tournament in Cuba," La Rosa said.

He informed that he conveyed to the commissioner of the province of Villa Clara, Ramón Moré, his willingness to collaborate in the training of the team of that territory, essentially with the catchers, an idea that pleased him.

With a degree in Physical Education, La Rosa aspires to a coaching position in the baseball academy of his province, to deliver the knowledge acquired during his active life as a baseball player, in which he was valued as one of the most defensive catchers in the country.

Among his main participations in the international arena, he was part of the Cuba team in the match against Nicaragua held in that country in June 2012 and in 2013 he was called for the selection to the III World Baseball Classic.

He also stood out in the XVII Intercontinental Baseball Cup, 2010, in Taichung, Taipei, China, where the island's ninth team was proclaimed champion.

Also in 2010, as an alternate catcher in Villa Clara, La Rosa shared the starting lineup with Ariel Pestano in the Pre-World Cup held in the Dominican Republic, a fact that had never happened in Cuba when two catchers of the same team had coincided with the uniform of the four letters.