Cuba Confirms its Participation in the 2026 World Baseball Classic
The Cuban Baseball and Softball Federation announced this Sunday its participation in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, despite the difficulties presented by the denial of visas to eight members of its delegation by the United States. The federation issued an official statement where it calls the decision “discriminatory and politicized.” In it, it is pointed out that the affected delegates had important roles assigned by the tournament organizers, as did the representatives of other countries. Faced with this situation, the Federation redistributed the responsibilities of the members who will not be able to travel among the available staff, including members of the technical team. According to the entity, this represents an operational and competitive disadvantage for the Cuban team.The Cuban team is scheduled to travel soon to the state of Arizona, where they will continue their final preparation before the start of the tournament, which will take place from March 5 to 17. The venues for the championship will be Miami, Houston, San Juan and Tokyo. The National Institute of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation (Inder) also expressed its disapproval of the US government’s decision, considering it an act of aggression that seeks to hinder the Cuban team’s participation in the tournament. Cuba will compete in Group A of the tournament, along with Puerto Rico, Colombia, Panama, and Canada. The island’s sports authorities have indicated that the team’s goal is to match or surpass the fourth place achieved in the 2023 edition of the World Baseball Classic.“We will not give up on a tournament we have been a part of since its first edition. Our will to compete and do so with dignity prevails,” the federation expressed in the statement.
Cuban Baseball and Softball Federation
