Baseball-Premier 12

Cuban Left hander Yoanni Yera will open the game against Chinese Taipei tomorrow, Saturday, in the next to the last day of the qualifying phase of Group A of WBSC Premier 12 Baseball Tournament. 

Yoanni Yera was not in good shape in the first preparation game playing host South Korea and that's why he didn't start against Canada in the opening game but will now have the chance to prove what he is made of and retake charge on the mount.

The Cuban team has two wins and one defeat so far and comes in second with Netherlands after Canada, unbeaten in Group A as Japan remains undefeated in Group B.

The Cuban pitchers will have to face the home run leaders of the event with seven so far and a team offensive average of 299 with 32 hits, although this was not enough to fall playing Netherlands 4-7 and Canada by a score of 8-9, with a win over Italy 7-1.

The team led by coach Victor Mesa should play a game with all concentration possible to prevent errors.  Cuba will close its preliminary round playing Italy.

Cuban National Team to Visit Ottawa as Part of 2016 Can-Am League Schedule

A visit to Ottawa by the 2006 World Baseball Classic runners up, the Cuban National Team, highlights the 2016 Can-Am League schedule.

The Cubans will take to the field at Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton Park against the Ottawa Champions on Fathers’ Day weekend, June 17-19 next year.

The Cuban National Team will play all six members of the Can-Am League in June in preparation for the next World Baseball Classic in March of 2017.

Also making their return to North America are the Shikoku Island All-Stars from Japan, who will make a stop in Ottawa from June 28-30.

The Champions will play their season opener on Thursday, May 19th next year at RCGT Park against the 2015 Can-Am League finalists, the New Jersey Jackals.
 

Interleague play with the American Association will not be part of the schedule in 2016, but the two leagues will face off against each other in the All-Star Game, scheduled for Tuesday, August 2nd in St. Paul, MN.

Other highlights for the Champions include a Canada Day game on July 1st at home against the Sussex County Miners, and the final game of the season on Labor Day, September 5th, against the Quebec Capitales.

For more information, you can visit www.ottawachampions.com

VOLLEYBALL

The Cuban volleyball team will open the NORCECA pre-Olympics playing Puerto Rico on January 8 next year in Edmonton, Canada.
Cuba, number 15 in the world ranking, will play against Mexico on January 9th and a day later against host Canada.

Cuba and Puerto Rico have faced each other twice this year. Puerto Rico beat Cuba in the first game this year at Toronto's Pan American Games quarterfinals when the team was losing 0-2. However, Cuba took revenge and beat Puerto Rico by a score of 3-1 at Mexico's NORCECA in September.

The winner of this Final Four event in January will qualify for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro 2016. The second place team will have another chance to qualify in another tournament to take place between May 14th and June 7th in Japan. 


MARABANA

Over four thousand runners, including 1,478 foreigners, have confirmed their presence in the 29th Marabana marathon to take place this coming Sunday, November 15th in Havana.

Organizing committee president Carlos Gatorno said runners from 60 nations, including 567 from the U.S., and 574 athletes have confirmed their participation in the marathon to cover 42 km and 195 meters.

The countries most represented in the event are Mexico, Italy, Germany, Spain, France, Denmark, and Brazil. More than 3000 Cubans have also officially announced their participation, among them the main Cuban marathon athletes.

Richer Pérez, marathon champion at the Toronto Pan American Games, will seek his fifth victory at the middle marathon event within the marathon.
 
The Havana circuit is approved by The Association of International Marathons and Distance Races.