[NYTr] Cuba Invited to Second World Baseball Classic

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

Agencia Cubana de Noticias (ACN)
http://ainch.ain.cu/mailman/listinfo/ingles


Cuba Invited to Second World Baseball Classic

Havana, Nov 1 (acn) Cuba has been officially invited to take part at 
the second World Baseball Classic, the head of the Cuban Olympic 
Committee (COC) Jose Ramon Fernandez announced on Tuesday.

Cuba was also invited to the first chapter of this international 
tournament and President Fidel Castro himself confirmed the 
participation, which was at stake when Washington denied the visas to 
the Cuban team to travel to the US and Puerto Rico for the games.

The US Department of the Treasury only gave in when the Puerto Rican 
Baseball Federation threatened not to host the eliminatory rounds and 
to withdraw their team from the competition.

Cuba was, in turn, one of the tournament's best attractions. The 
Caribbean selection lost 6 to 10 before Japan in the final game at San 
Diego, winning an honorable second place and leaving on the way strong 
opponents such as Venezuela, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

While a formal decision hasn't been made, it appears the second WBC 
will be played in March 2009. Details are likely to be announced at the 
winter meetings Dec 3-6 in Nashville, Tennessee.