Havana, September 6 (RHC) – Today, the U-15 Pan American Baseball Tournament kicked off in the Dominican Republic with four participating countries trying to secure the only ticket this tournament awards to the World Cup in that category.
The opening ceremony was led by Sports Minister Kelvin Cruz, who threw out the first pitch at the IPL Academy sports complex in Santo Domingo Este, the event’s venue.
The ball was received by George De Lira, President of the Caribbean Sub-Confederation of the Pan American Baseball Confederation (COPABE), while the honorable batter was Henry González, Director of International Operations for Major League Baseball (MLB) in the country.
The tournament, which runs until September 11, features the national teams of Cuba, Puerto Rico, Aruba, and the Dominican Republic.
Organized by Copabe and WBSC Americas Baseball, with the support of the Dominican Baseball Federation, the tournament is played under a round-robin format.
During his speech, the Minister of Sports reaffirmed the Dominican government’s commitment to promoting youth sports and stated that this championship represents an opportunity for baseball players to showcase their talent.
Today, Puerto Rico and Aruba play in the first round, and later, the Dominican Republic team will debut against Cuba.
The U-15 Pan American Cup, which awards spots to the world championship, is held in a regional tournament format.
Of these four teams, two will join the champions of the South, Central, and North American regions.
