The fuel crisis that is putting pressure on transportation and various services in Cuba is also forcing a transformation of the country's main sporting tournament. The 65th National Baseball Series will introduce a format divided into two geographical zones and four groups aimed at reducing team travel and saving fuel.
The modification was announced this Tuesday by the National Baseball Commission during a press conference held in the Adolfo Luque hall of the Latinoamericano stadium in Havana, according to information published by the Cuban News Agency.
Juan Reinaldo Pérez Pardo, president of the Cuban Federation of Baseball and Softball, acknowledged that the reorganization is driven by the economic and energy challenges facing the island.
"The adjustments are made in response to the need to optimize resources, particularly fuel, in a complex economic context in the country," the executive explained.
The tournament will take place from October 4 to December 22, featuring 16 teams divided into two major zones.
The Occidental group will comprise Group A, which includes Pinar del Río, La Isla, Artemisa, and Industriales, and Group B, made up of the champion Matanzas, Mayabeque, Villa Clara, and Cienfuegos.
In the Eastern Region, Group C will include Sancti Spíritus, Ciego de Ávila, Camagüey, and Las Tunas, while Group D will consist of Granma, Holguín, Santiago de Cuba, and Guantánamo.
Each team will compete in 44 matches during the qualifying phase: 24 against rivals in their own group and another 20 against teams from the other group in the same zone.
The subseries between sets of the same group will consist of four matches, with one day allocated for travel. The matchups between groups will have five games and an intermediate day of rest.
The distribution responds to a need that goes beyond sports: to keep teams playing as close to their territories as possible in order to reduce interprovincial travel and, consequently, fuel consumption.
A new system for the playoffs
The 65th National Series will also introduce significant changes in the postseason, featuring a double elimination system similar to that commonly used in softball.
The teams that finish first and second in each zone will compete against each other. The winner will advance directly to the zone final, while the loser will have another chance against the winner of the match between the third and fourth place teams.
These matches will be contested in a best-of-three format. Subsequently, the champions from the Western and Eastern zones will compete for the national title in a best-of-seven series.
Although the circumstances that prompt his return are exceptional, the territorial scheme is not entirely new in Cuban baseball.
According to the records of statistician Benigno Daquinta, a similar structure began to be used in season 32 (1992-1993), won by Villa Clara, and it continued with various modifications until season 47 (2007-2008), when Santiago de Cuba claimed the championship.
Almost two decades later, the areas are returning amid a scenario marked by difficulties in moving equipment and ensuring the necessary fuel to maintain a national schedule.
The lack of fuel had already left players unable to play
The change in format is another reflection of a crisis that has increasingly plagued national sports over the past few months.
In May, the National Commission suspended the national youth championships for the Under-12, Under-15, and Under-18 categories due to a lack of fuel, a decision that directly impacted hundreds of young players and their families.
Weeks later, INDER itself from Matanzas acknowledged that the Crocodiles were unable to travel to Havana to play a match because the bus assigned to the team did not receive the necessary fuel.
Famous directors are returning
The new season will also be characterized by the return to the sidelines of several experienced coaches leading the national team.
Alfonso Urquiola will once again take the reins of Pinar del Río, Miguel Borroto will lead Camagüey, and Armando Johnson will be in charge of La Isla.
The champion of the 65th National Series will represent Cuba in the 2027 Champions League of Baseball of the Americas.
That place currently corresponds to Matanzas, which won the 64th National Series on February 14 after sweeping Las Tunas and wrapped up the finals with a decisive victory of 11-0.
The upcoming campaign, however, will begin with a challenge that goes beyond the fields: ensuring that the teams can travel and complete the schedule in a country where fuel scarcity is already impacting the way their national sport is played.
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