The Pan-American Baseball Federation (Copabe) has chosen Cuba as the site of the qualifying contest which will send two teams to Beijing's 2008 Olympic Games, according to Tuesday local radio reports.

The contest will run from August 25 to September 6. Gold and silver medal-winning teams will go through to the Olympics automatically, while the bronze medal-winner and the fourth place team will be entered into a different international competition, which offers three Olympic places.

The first seven teams, not including Brazil, will also win places in the Pan-American games planned for Rio de Janeiro in 2007. Brazil, as host, has a place automatically.

The federation also said that Cuba will hold the world university baseball and junior baseball competitions; the first in the capital Havana and the second in split between the cities of Sancti Spiritus and Villa Clara.

Source: Xinhua