Havana, November 3 (RHC) – The Cuban Baseball5 team won the crown today at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, defeating Chinese Taipei 2-0 in the final, with scores of 2-1 and 7-1.
The Cubans allowed just two runs to the Asians, one in the second inning of each set, thus avenging their loss to the same opponent in the group stage.
With near-perfect defense and no unnecessary throws, the champions consistently sought the force out and effectively controlled the ball’s rebound off the fence.
In the first set, they capitalized on the third inning, scoring two runs with three hits and one error.
In the second set, they relied on precise hitting, producing a decisive five-run rally in the first inning, and then employed an impenetrable defense against their opponents. Cuban third baseman Jean Carlos Machado stole the show at the plate, going 8-for-10.
Cuba, the reigning world champion in both the senior and junior categories in this format, finished the tournament with a record of five wins and one loss.
