5th ITTF Latin America Cup in Havana

A dozen nations are competing from Friday to Sunday at the 5th ITTF Latin America Cup taking place in Havana's Ciudad Deportiva Sports Center.

The best table tennis players in the region are taking part in the contest, which will be a preamble to the Pan American Games in Toronto next July.

Andy Pereira, the best Cuban player of recent times, is heading the local team also made up of Jorge Campos, Lisi Castillo and Leysi Jimenez.

The quartet and Idalys Lovet from the youth selection will represent Cuba in the games organized by Toronto. They have not yet selected the third male player.

Among the ping-pong players taking part in the tournament include Brazilian Gustavo Tsuboi and Hugo Caderano, placed in positions 62 and 66 in the world ranking, who must be the players to beat in the men's competition.

Gui Lin and Caroline Kumahara (130 and 146, respectively) are looking to take the crown of women's team.

In the Women's Singles qualifyng group on Friday morning Cuban Lisi CASTILLO lost to Brazilian Caroline KUMAHARA 0-4 and Cuban Leisy JIMENEZ was beaten by Brazilian Ligia SILVA 4-1.

Brazilian Gustavo TSUBOI won over Cuban Jorge CAMPOS 4-1 in the Men's Singles qualifying group.

Kazakhstan Hosts Final of World Series of Boxing

The organizers of the 5th World Series of Boxing cleared the unknown surrounding the final: champion Cuba's Domadores face Astana Arlans of Kazakhstan on June 20th and 21st.

Asked about the information released by the website of the event, the president of the Cuban Federation, Alberto Puig, explained that the events will be held in the Kazakh capital and highlighted the excellent mood of the Cuban team.

"There's a great layout and we are working hard to repeat the victory achieved last season while we increase preparations to make the best possible contribution to the Pan American Games in Toronto," he said.

The Cuban team won its 14 qualifying events and led Group A before sweeping Mexico's Guerreros 10-0 in the semifinals, sealing a total of 63 wins and only seven individual defeats.

Meanwhile, Astana Arlans, winner of the third edition, gave 14 presentations of preliminaries and beat Russia by a score of 9-1 in the most recent competition, setting at 65 and 15 the overall balance of victories and defeats.

Both teams rivaled at the end of 2014 in an exhibition tournament won by Cuba by a score of 6 to 4.

Soccer Great Pele to Join New York Cosmos on Trip to Cuba

Brazilian former soccer player Pele will join his former club the New York Cosmos on a goodwill mission to Cuba that will include an exhibition match next Tuesday between the Cosmos and the Cuban national team.

"It's now confirmed: The king of soccer, Pele, is coming to Havana ... for the upcoming friendly match on June 2," the official newspaper Juventud Rebelde reported, citing Antonio Garces, vice president of the Cuban Football Association.

The Cosmos, now in the second division of U.S. professional soccer league, have scheduled the first match of an American professional sports team in Cuba since the December rapprochement between Cuba and the United States.

Corban University Baseball Team Heads to Cuba

And as interest in Cuba continues to grow in the United States amid improving political relations, another sports group -- this time the baseball team of Corban University, a Christian school in Salem, Oregon -- is heading to Cuba Friday on a religious visa.

Coach Jeff McKay says “the opportunity combining a mission trip with playing baseball with the Cubans is very, very unique and I don’t know that we could be more excited.”

He says they will play local teams during the day and visit churches at night and talk with people. The U.S. baseball players, who will be visiting Cuba for a week, are also bringing a donation of baseball equipment.