Sports Joint Venture

Cuba will sign this week the agreement that will officially constitute the 2nd sports joint venture aimed at developing a large building complex linked to the activity of golf, east of the capital.

Jose Daniel R. Alonso, Director of Business of the Tourism Ministry, recently confirmed here that the association between the State Cuba Golf and Chinese firm Beijing Enterprises Holdings Limited to implement the project in the area of Monte Bello will be signed on Wednesday.

The official explained to reporters from 12 nations present at the 10th edition of the International Seminar on Journalism and Tourism that the project is valued at 462 million dollars and is the 2nd of its kind approved in the country to date.

He recalled that the 1st joint venture for the development of real estate associated with golf courses was created in early 2014 with the British company Esencia Hotels and Resorts, which will boost an investment estimated at 360 million dollars near the island's main tourist resort, Varadero. And Daniel Alonso also told journalists that they expect to establish the 3rd joint venture by the end of this year.

At the José Martí International Institute of Journalism, the 10th Seminar promotes exchanges between more than 50 colleagues from Cuba, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Italy, Nicaragua, Panama, El Salvador, Honduras, Peru and, for the first time, the United States.

Basketball

The Coastal Carolina basketball team will be making a bit of history well before its Season even begins this year.

The Chanticleers announced on Tuesday that they will play 3 exhibition games in Cuba in August against the Cuban National Team while claiming to be the 1st Division I team to play in the Caribbean nation since the countries announced plans to begin normalizing relations last December.

The Chants will depart for Cuba on Aug. 6th and return Aug. 14th, playing 3 games at Havana's Sport City Coliseum from Aug. 8th-11th.

NCAA rules allow programs to take a foreign tour once every 4 academic years and Coastal Carolina's trip is being managed by Sport Tours International, the university's news release said.

"Coastal Carolina's 3 games against the Cuban National Team in Havana will be the first time a Division I team has ever played in Cuba," Sport Tours International president Lee Frederick said in a statement released by the school. "That the administration and basketball program accepted the invitation from the Cuban Federation is a testament to the program's increasing prestige on the national stage. It will be the trip of a lifetime for the student-athletes, and the 7 days they spend on the island will change them forever."

The Chants, who reached the NCAA tournament each of the past 2 Seasons, are also scheduled to conduct clinics for players and coaches in Havana and Matanzas, and participate in various community service programs during their stay in Cuba.

"This foreign tour to Cuba is a great honor for our program as the United States begins to open its relationship with Cuba," coach Cliff Ellis said in a statement. "For us to be the first team to travel to Cuba is a testament to our success over the past several years. We will rely on NCAA tournament experiences to play competitive basketball against Cuba's top-notch national team."

Baseball
The Cuban baseball team remained undefeated with 3 wins in a friendly stop against Nicaragua, a preparatory course to the Toronto 2015 Pan-American Games, after beating the visitors with a narrow 2-0 margin yesterday.

Yosvani Torres was awarded the victory by limiting the visiting team offensive to 3 hits in 6 innings, supported by proper relays of Ulfrido Garcia, Alberto Bicet and Jose Angel Garcia, while the loss corresponded to Elvin Garcia in a duel at the Capitan San Luis Stadium, in Pinar del Río.

Despite winning, the hosts of Roger Machado suffered from timely hitting to make just 2 runs, towed by Raul Gonzalez and Urmani Guerra, with a dozen connected hits.

To date, the most remarkable aspect is the Cuban team in the work of the pitchers, who in 25 innings have not allowed any runs to the pale performance of Nicaraguan hitters.

Earlier, the Cuban staff won 3-0 and 11-0 in the first 2 meetings of the bilateral top shared at Havana's Latinoamericano Stadium.

The friendly series will travel this Wednesday to the Nelson Fernandez Stadium, in San Jose de las Lajas, while the ultimate challenge of the program will take place on Thursday at the July 26th Stadium, in Artemisa province.

After the confrontation with Nicaragua, the Cuban baseball team will leave for the United States to intervene from July 1st-8th in the traditional bilateral abutment against the university selection of that country and the so-called Festival of the Americas.

Chess
Cuban GM Lazaro Bruzon will try today to prevent the coronation of his Chinese counterpart Yu Yangyi in the Elite Group of the 50th Capablanca Memorial Chess Championship underway in this capital.

Only a victory would give options to host the Asian escorts, because right now the Asian representative has one and a half point over his closest pursuers.

Olympics 2024

The French capital officially announced today its candidacy for the 2024 Summer Olympics, a goal that generated divided opinions in recent months.

This day was chosen for the presentation because the June 23rd, 1894 the International Olympic Committee was established in the so-called City of Light.

French Minister of Youth and Sports, Patrick Kanner, expressed support for the project that seeks to leverage the existing infrastructure, and a recent survey showed that about 73% of the inhabitants of this European nation is favorable to the organization of the 2024 Olympics.

Paris is the 4th candidate to host the 2024 Olympics Games, along with Rome, Boston and Hamburg.