The night baseball games in Sancti Spíritus, in times of severe blackouts, have given rise to a social controversy where there are people for and against the games being held.
José Luis Rodríguez, director of the Budgeted Unit of Inder, detailed to Escambray that the stadium's 180 incandescent lights consume about 2 megawatts per game.
The energy expenditure is equivalent to that of eight homes for a month, according to the director of the provincial Electric Company.
In Cuba, baseball has been played during the day for some time due to the energy crisis, but throughout the world baseball games are generally held at night, because it is better for the audience attendance at the show and for the performance of the athletes, especially in a country where the heat and sun can be a real burden.
The II Elite Cuban Baseball League, where the Gallos are on a winning streak, has continued ahead despite the blackouts in the country.
In Sancti Spíritus, fans argue heatedly between the sporting enjoyment of night games and the awareness of an energy crisis that has been ravaging for years.
Critics highlight the incongruity of turning on the lights of a stadium in times where electricity supply is a scarce commodity. Others question the suitability of the league and there are those who consider that it is disrespectful to be spending state resources on ball games, when in Cuba there is no food.
Many people believe that decisions such as postponing or adapting sporting events reflect the delicate balance that must be found on an island that has faced challenges in its infrastructure and economy for decades, a product of poor government management.
Last week the José Antonio Huelga Stadium left a game unfinished, because in the middle of the game a blackout left the audience in the dark. Local authorities said it was due to a technical fault, but that answer still has not convinced many Cubans.
In September The National Championship could not be held 9-10 years; the final stage of Baseball 5; the National Women's Baseball Cup; and the U-18 National Championship was not completed, due to not having enough fuel to light the stadiums in times of energy crisis in Cuba.
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