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The National Baseball Commission of Cuba suspended the national championships for the Under-12, Under-15, and Under-18 categories due to the energy crisis that is paralyzing the island, in an announcement published last Saturday.
The agency attributed the decision to "the situation associated with the worsening of the blockade and the energy siege imposed by the United States," an official narrative that the regime systematically repeats to justify the collapse of basic services caused by 67 years of dictatorial management.
Instead of national tournaments, the Commission will implement an alternative system of physical and technical tests conducted by national and provincial specialists, with the aim of evaluating the main talents in those formative categories.
According to the official statement, the system "involves specialists from that structure and provincial commissions, who will organize physical and technical tests designed to assess the current status of those individuals and their chances of being called up for the pre-selections."
The program of alternative sessions began last Saturday in Las Tunas, designed to examine the most important elements and coordinated with the provincial territories.
The suspension does not imply Cuba's withdrawal from the international events planned for this year.
Cuban youth teams aim to participate in the Pan American U-12 Championship from August 22 to 29 in Mazatlán, Mexico; in the U-15 Baseball World Championship from September 25 to October 4 in Mérida, Mexico; and in the Pan American U-18 Championship from October 7 to 14 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, the latter serving as a qualifier for the WBSC World Cup 2027.
The energy crisis that led to the cancellation of youth tournaments reached historic levels this month.
On May 13, a record electrical deficit of 2,153 MW was recorded during peak hours, and three days later, the maximum impact reached 2,041 MW, equivalent to 51% of the country without electricity simultaneously.
In large areas of the island, blackouts have exceeded 20 hours a day this month, and the Minister of Energy admitted on state television that the country has depleted its reserves of fuel oil and diesel.
The impact of the crisis on Cuban sports is neither new nor isolated.
In July 2025, the National Institute of Sports (INDER) acknowledged before the National Assembly that over 50% of the sports calendar had been canceled due to the energy crisis and food shortages.
In August 2025, the Santiago de Cuba baseball team suspended training due to a lack of food and snacks for the players. In November of that year, a power outage forced the suspension of a National Series game because the players were unable to rest at their hotel.
Last week, a match in the IV Elite League was also suspended due to similar issues, in contrast to the ongoing nature of this elite tournament while the developmental championships have been canceled.
Cuban youth baseball also carries a history of setbacks: in 2021, Cuba declined to participate in the Pan American and World tournaments for the Under-12 and Under-18 categories, and that same year, half of the Under-23 team defected during the World Cup in Mexico, marking the largest exodus of Cuban players recorded at an international event up to that time.
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