Baseball

Cuba lost 6-0 to South Korea the 1st of the 2 agreed friendly caps prior to their participation in the 1st edition of the 2015 WBSC Premier 12 Tournament.

Cubans hardly hit 4 hits and the defense committed 1 error, while Asians gave 12 hits.

Cuban mentor Victor Mesa used 6 pitchers on the mound, after his starter Yoanni Yera was relieved by Frank Montieht, Dany Betancourt, Norberto González, Liván Moinelo and José Ángel García, in that order.

Next Thursday, the majestic Gocheok Sky Dome Stadium will host the final stage of Cuban and South Koreans before leaving to Taipei China, home of the actions of Group B in the 2015 WBSC Premier 12 Tournament.

And another good news from baseball says that Penn State baseball team will become the first U.S. team at any level to play against teams from the Cuban National Series, Cuba’s premier baseball league. The team will travel to Cuba the week of Thanksgiving break on academic visas for a trip that will include four baseball games, lectures and seminars as part of an international trip, confirmed coach Rob Cooper.

Two of those games will be played in Havana against Industriales, a team regarded as a Cuban version of the New York Yankees for its dominance on the field, at the 55,000-seat Latinoamericano Stadium to later play another game against Pinar del Rio and Matanzas.

Coach Cooper said that although the games will be a highlight of the trip, the educational aspect is the most important thing.

Chess
Cuban GM Lázaro Bruzón crowned undefeated at the Ibero-American Chess Championship played in Bilbao, Spain, after splitting the point with black pieces against Argentine IM Alan Pichot, in 39 moves of a Ruy Lopez opening.

Bruzón led alone the fair with 7.5 points and balance 6 hits and 3 draws, adding 9 points to his ELO of 2659, while also Cuban Lelys Martínez overcame in the final round by beating Colombian Martín Martínez to end in 6th place with 7 points.

Similarly, they were promising news for Cuban GM Isán Ortiz, who was crowned in the Michigan Chess Festival with 7.5 points of 9 possible, which rose 20 points to his ELO.

Volleyball
Several Cubans were included on the board of the North Central American and Caribbean Confederation of Volleyball for the next 4 years during the 23rd congress of the organization, held in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, last weekend.

The former outstanding Cuban volleyball player Mireya Luis was ratified as a Full Member of the Executive Committee of the Confederation, which is headed by the Dominican Cristóbal Marte, the Mexican Saúl Castro Verdugo, and American Doug Beal, as 1st and 2nd vice presidents, while the head of the Cuban Federation Ariel Saínz remained as a Full Member of the Board of Directors and head of the Coaches Commission.

10 Cubans make up the various working committees of NORCECA for the period 2015-2019.

Judo

6 Cuban judokas are traveling on Wednesday 18th to observe a training tour through Asia to compete in 2 Grand Prix in China and South Korea; and a Grand Slam in Japan, announced Rafael Manso, Cuban national commissioner.

Idalis Ortiz (+78) and Asley González (90), Olympic and world medalists, lead the Cuban delegation, along with Dayaris Mestre (48 kilos), Maricet Espinosa (63), Yalennis Castillo (78), Aliuska Ojeda (57) Magdiel Estrada (73), and Alex García (+100), all led by coach Ronaldo Veitia.

On male set, Manso said that in addition to González, José Armenteros (100) and Iván Silva (73), a triad led by coach Justo Noda, will also attend the prestigious events.

Cuba must compete in China from 20-22; 26-28 in South Korea this month, and in Japan from December 6th-8th.

Veitia and Noda said that the main objective of their disciples is to add more points in the world ranking to improve positions in the Sorting Area for Rio de Janeiro-2016 Olympics.

And also about Judo it was known that as a fair recognition to the Cuban judo Rafael Manso considered his election in the post of Director of Development in the new executive of the Pan-American Judo Confederation (CPJ), recently taken in its extraordinary congress in Miami, United States.

The national commissioner told local JIT sports daily it was a fair decision with the country that has internationally achieved the most in this discipline for America, and it is also a commitment to maintain the progress of the current programs of the World Judo Federation (IJF by its English acronym).

Although he could not be present for not receiving his visa, Manso welcomed the presence of Cuba in this entity and reiterated his thanks to the IJF, especially to its holder Marius Vizer, by supporting the Cuban judo.

Last Saturday was held the electoral process and the adoption of new CPJ regulations attended by delegates from 22 countries at the Milton Miami Airport hotel, who unanimously elected Mexican Manuel Larrañaga as the new president, and as executives Canadian Michael Tamura (Vice President), Uruguayan Ignacio Aloise (Secretary General), Chile's Aquiles Gómez (Treasurer), Puerto Rican Porfirio Garcia (Director of Education) and the Bolivian Juan José Paz (Solidarity Dpt.)

These brand-new executives appointed in their first meeting Peruvian Carlos Zagarra as sporting director, Cuban Uvelino Moreno as doctor, Argentinean Ovidio Garnero as arbitration judge, Mexican Liliana Estrada in front of the Ethics Dpt., and American José Humberto Rodríguez as administrator.