Baseball

Shohei Otani struck out 10 batters over 6 scoreless innings as Japan beat South Korea 5-0 on Sunday in the opening game of the 2015 WBSC Premier 12 Baseball Tournament, to be played from November 8th to the 21st.

Otani, billed as Japan’s ace, lived up to expectations in the game played at Sapporo Dome. The 21-year-old right-hander notched 3 consecutive strikeouts in the 5th inning after South Korea had runners at 1st and 2nd with no outs.

The quadrennial tournament, which features the top 12-ranked nations, is being organized by the World Baseball Softball Confederation.

Japan enters this year's event as the top-ranked team followed by the United States and Cuba.

Four games are scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday: In Group A, Puerto Rico (home club) will play against Italy (visitor) at Taichung Stadium, then Cuba (home team) vs. Canada (visitor) at 12:30 noon and 6:30 pm Taipei local time, respectively.

Meanwhile, at the Taoyuan International Stadium will rival the 4 selections comprising Group B, including Venezuela (home club) and Mexico (visitor) at 12 noon local time; with the United States (home club) and Dominican Republic (visitor) at 6 pm Taiwan local time.

The 4 teams from each group with the best record will advance to the quarterfinals, where, once matched by classification (first ones against 4th, and 2nd against 3rd parties), will play 1 unique game to define the semifinalists.

This world fair involves over 330 players from 4 continents grouped into the top best 12 teams in the WBSC world ranking whose order score is as follows: Japan, United States, Cuba, Chinese Taipei, the Netherlands, Dominican Republic, Canada, Korea South, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Italy and Mexico.

In 11 days of competition, this world event will cover 38 games to take place in 6 different venues: 2 in Japan, and 4 in Chinese Taipei.

 Cycling
The final stage of qualifying for the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro 2016 is now available for the Cuban cyclists, who will participate in the 3 obligatory stops of the World Cycling Cup.

Under the technical direction of Leonel Álvarez and Florencio Pérez, Cuba's National Cycling Commission has decided to send the experienced Lisandra Guerra and talented Marliés Mejías and Arlenis Sierra, its best figures.

The next competition of Cubans will be at the 2nd stop, world circuit, to be held in Cambridge, New Zealand, December 5th-6th, which will close its 3rd phase in Hong Kong from January 16th-17th next year, prior to the London world cap, March 2nd to the 6th, and before the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro 2016.

 Chess
Cuban GM Yaniet Marrero won today the Zonal 2.3 Chess Tournament for Women organized by Nicaragua since last Tuesday, November 3rd, and won the only berth in dispute to attend the World Cup 2016.

Marrero, owner of 2279 ELO points, defeated Costa Rican IM Maria Elena Rodriguez (1888) with black pieces, to accumulate 8 points of 9 possible and riveting her leadership.

The Cuban athlete arrived in the 9th and final round with a half point ahead of her compatriot and GM Maritza Arribas and IM Colombian Paula Andrea Rodríguez, who shared the 2nd seat after winning their games on Sunday's caps.

The Zonal 2.3 includes Central America and the Caribbean, and some South-American countries like Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela; thus, several competitors from the Zonal of Managua will quickly move to San Salvador to play a tournament in San Salvador next week.

And also about chess, this time locally, we learned that the FIDE Master (FM) from Holguín, Rider Diaz, with an ELO of 2419, overcame his colleague and compatriot Arnaldo Fernandez de la Vara, to be reaffirmed on top of the National Zonal Chess Tournament that took place in eastern Holguín province.

Prensa Latina Sports Poll

Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt and Cuban pole vaulter Yarisley Silva got 8 and 6 points, respectively, in the Annual Survey of Prensa Latina, based in Havana, which awards the Best Athletes in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The Jamaican star won his 7th vote for Best Sportsman of the Year, thanks to Cuba's Radio Llanura, municipality of Colón in Matanzas province to increase the advantage over his main pursuer, the Argentinean soccer player Lionel Messi, who has 3 points.

For its part, the Cuban boxing squad extended its hegemony in the run to be crowned as Best Team of 2015 by leading with 10 votes.

Participation in the annual survey is conducted by Prensa Latina through mass-media news organizations (print, radio, television and electronic media) and not as individuals; votes should be sent to www.deportes@prensa-latina.cu and the deadline is Monday, December 21st.