Americas Olympic Baseball Qualifier Schedule Confirmed

(ATR) The president of the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), the Italian Riccardo Fraccari, described the holding of the Olympic Qualifying Tournament of the Americas in Florida as an "historical event".

Fraccari's observation is based on two factors. The qualifying contest that will begin on May 31 at stadiums in West Palm Beach and Port St. Lucie will be the first international baseball tournament that the WBSC can organize in more than a year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Second, the Florida tournament could mean the starting point of the cycle towards a new Olympic return of this sport at the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028.

The organizers of Paris 2024 did not include baseball or softball. In Tokyo 2020 both disciplines returned to the Olympic program after being absent in London 2012 and Rio de Janeiro 2016.

Although the LA 2028 program has not yet been decided, analysts assure that these two sports will have a place given the tradition, level and marketing of both in the United States.

Fraccari conveyed his confidence in the success of the Pre-Olympic of the Americas and the Olympic tournament in Japan during a press conference called by the authorities of West Palm Beach and Port St. Lucie, in person and online.

The WBSC executive participated from Lausanne, Switzerland. Several reporters were present at the Ballpark stadium in West Palm Beach and others attended online from both inside and outside the United States.

Several former Florida-based Major League Baseball stars also turned out to support the event.

During the meeting, the 16-game schedule was announced as was the call for press accreditation.

The Covid-19 protocol for the press indicates that interviews with players and coaches in competition venues will be conducted online. There will be no direct contact between the press and the team members.

A full range of opportunities for reporters will be announced later.

An encouraging sign for the pre-Olympic tournament was the announcement of a limited number of spectators at the two host stadiums.

Fraccari told Around the Rings that the number of fans that will be authorized is "not yet defined."

"We will finish this analysis in the next few days.

"An agreement will be reached with the County authorities," said the WBSC president.

On the first day of the tournament, on May 31, Puerto Rico will play against the Dominican Republic (1.00 pm) and the United States against Nicaragua (7.00 pm) at Clover Park, in Port St. Lucie, which hosts Group A.

In The Ballpark of Palm Beaches (West Palm Beach), Cuba vs Venezuela (1.00 pm) and Colombia vs Canada (7:00 pm) is the opening schedule for Group B.

The best two advance to a Super Round where the winner will get the Olympic ticket. The second and third place teams will travel to Taiwan to play the last Olympic Qualifier from June 16 along with Chinese Taipei, Australia, the Netherlands and China.

Japan, South Korea, Israel and Mexico have already secured their qualification for the Tokyo Games. Olympic baseball begins on July 28

TRAGEDY IN CUBAN BASEBALL

The Covid-19 pandemic in Cuba claimed the life of the National Baseball Commissioner, Ernesto Reynoso. Reynoso, 56, had been in that position for only 20 months. He would have been one of those responsible for the Cuban delegation to the Olympic qualifying tournament in Florida.

The contagion of the coronavirus has harmed numerous executives of the Commissioner's Office, sports sources in Havana confirmed to ATR.

The president of the Cuban Federation and former manager, Higinio Vélez, is currently in intensive care due to the coronavirus, according to the source.

One of the two aspiring managers of the Cuban pre-Olympic team, Carlos Martí, was removed from training when he tested positive for coronavirus.

The Cuban baseball pre-selection returned to training this week after undergoing PCR tests and completing isolation for several days following contact with a member of the technical corps who had tested positive, according to an official note.

The Cuban team announced that they will leave for Mexico on May 10 to begin visa procedures with the United States embassy there for their participation in the Florida Qualifier.

The United States government reduced almost entirely the diplomatic staff in Havana following reports of alleged sonic attacks against its officials. For this reason, since November 2017, visa services on the Island were almost completely suspended.

During their stay of more than two weeks in Mexico, the Cuban team hopes to hold several games against Mexican professional teams, an item that the late Commissioner had on his agenda.

Riccardo Fraccari sent a message of condolence to Havana on the death of the Cuban baseball leader.

Written and reported by Miguel Hernandez

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