Two weeks before the start ofAmericas Pre-Olympic baseball, heading toSuch 2020, theCuban Federation of the discipline This Monday he requested visas for the national team from the United States government.that will play said tournament in Florida, from May 31 to June 5.
Through a tweet, the FCB reported that “up to this moment, no visa has been granted to any of the members of the Cuban delegation to the Olympic pre-Olympic.”#baseball of the Americas".
Even though the Cuban entity indicated that “the procedures are in progress,” it recalled—in what clearly constitutes a claim, given the proximity of the competition—that “as the host country, the government of#USA "has the responsibility of facilitating the presence of all countries."
Cuban baseball reporter Francys Romero, based in Miami,said on his YouTube channel that “this participation is probably in danger.”
According to Romero, sources close to the authorities of thecuban baseball They assured him that there is skepticism on the island about traveling and playing in Florida, since acts of political destabilization against the delegation could occur there and, also, due to fear of athlete desertion.
One of the sources told the journalist that Cuba “is probably pressuring the World Softball and Baseball Confederation to go directly to thePre-Olympic, to the Taiwan Qualifier, and not come to the Florida Qualifier.”
Last week,The New Heraldpublic: “This time you can't blame anyone. The Cuban delegation that will attend the Baseball Pre-Olympic of the Americas in Florida already has the visas in its possession to travel to the United States with enough time and begin its participation in the tournament that grants a place to the Tokyo 2021 Games.
According to a source from the event's organizing committee, “there were no problems and they already have the visa, which is something that worried us a little at first. They will decide when they want to come, knowing that they open their calendar on May 31 against Venezuela in the Houston franchise's stadium,'' that person reportedly told journalist Jorge Ebro.
The South Florida newspaper recalled that a Cuban team “did not travel to the San Juan Caribbean Series in February 2020, alleging negligence on the part of the Caribbean Professional Baseball Confederation, but the commissionerJuan Francisco Puello Herrera “He responded that the baseball authorities of that nation did not make the necessary consular arrangements or take advantage of the time to reach him.”
Recently, theNational Baseball Commission readjusted the number of team members to 32 who would participate in the Florida tournament. "According to the strategists, the current composition adjusts to the objectives of the work that remains to be carried out at the Victoria de Girón stadium in Matanzas, prior to the definitive integration of the cast," said the sports authorities.
Cuba would be in Group B of the Florida Pre-Olympic along with Venezuela, Canada, Colombia.
The first two would advance to a “super round” of four along with the best two from Group A, made up of the United States, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Nicaragua.
Hehead-to-head of the teams classified in the initial round will be dragged to the second phase, in which they will face those from the opposite group.
Finally, the team with the best balance of wins and losses will win the only ticket in dispute to Tokyo 2020.
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