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Cuba's sports authorities have temporarily suspended the major national competitions in baseball and soccer due to the threat posed by Hurricane Melissa, which is approaching the eastern part of the country as a powerful Category 4 system.
The National Baseball Commission announced this Saturday the suspension of the games scheduled for October 28, 29, and 30 of the 64th National Series, as a precautionary measure due to the deteriorating weather conditions, reported Cubadebate.
According to the statement, the affected matches — including Pinar del Río-Industriales, Isla de la Juventud-Artemisa, Mayabeque-Sancti Spíritus, Cienfuegos-Matanzas, Ciego de Ávila-Holguín, Villa Clara-Camagüey, Las Tunas-Guantánamo, and Granma-Santiago de Cuba — will be rescheduled from December 16 to 21.
The Commission also specified that the celebration of the All-Star Game, scheduled for November 1 and 2 in Holguín, will depend on evaluations following the passage of Hurricane Melissa.
According to the same source, the National Football Commission announced the suspension of the Clausura Tournament of the 108 National League, whose first phase is taking place in Santiago de Cuba, one of the provinces at the highest risk due to the approaching weather phenomenon.
In an official statement, the governing body of Cuban football indicated that the priority at this time is to "ensure the safety and physical integrity of athletes, coaches, and support staff," as well as to allow the population and sports institutions to focus on preparations to face the event.
The resumption of the tournament will be announced once conditions allow and the relevant authorities determine that the necessary safety measures are in place for its continuation.
Hurricane Melissa, with sustained winds of 220 kilometers per hour, continues its advance over the Caribbean and poses a direct threat to eastern Cuba, where the Alert Phase declared by Civil Defense remains active.
The First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba in Santiago de Cuba and President of the Provincial Defense Council, Beatriz Johnson Urrutia, issued a warning message regarding the imminent danger posed by Hurricane Melissa, which threatens to have a devastating impact on the eastern part of the country.
The message was shared on the official profile of the leader on Facebook, where Johnson urged the public not to wait until the last moment to protect themselves.
"Santiagueras, santiagueros, we know what the word hurricane means. Thirteen years ago with Sandy, we learned how much loss can hurt, but also how much a people can endure when they are organized, listened to, and act united,” the leader expressed, primarily responsible for the fact that a significant part of the population has not received timely information related to the powerful hurricane.
In this regard, the Meteorological Institute of Cuba warned this Sunday about the imminence of strong swells in the southern seas of Granma, Santiago de Cuba, and Guantánamo, caused by the proximity of the powerful hurricane Melissa, which has reached category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson scale.
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