Cuba thanks sports community for Baseball Classic place

The Cuban Olympic Committee(COC) Wednesday thanked the international sporting community for helping the island to get a place in next month's World Baseball Classic.

Jose Ramon Fernandez, president of the COC, told Radio Havana that Puerto Rican sports federations, the International Olympic Committee, the International Baseball Federation and the World Anti-Doping Association had supported the attendence of Cuban players at the event, due from March 3 to March 20.

The US Treasury had denied Cuban baseball players visas to attend the group phase of the competition in Puerto Rico, saying that it would infringe the US economic blockade on the island, which has been running for more than 40 years.

After widespread media condemnation of the decision, the U.S. government reversed its decision on Jan. 20 giving permission to the current world and Olympic champions to take part in the contest.

Cuba has short-listed 60 baseball players, who will begin training for the Classic on Feb. 12. Cuba's 45th national series will stop this month so that the players can train for the Classic.

The Cuban team will play Holland, Panama and Puerto Rico in that order, starting on March 7 in Hiram Bithorn stadium, in San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico.

Source: Xinhua