Son of Fidel Castro launches version of street baseball
Cuba's "Baseball Five", a project promoted by Tony Castro, son of the late Cuban leader, begins in Cuba
Havana, Cuba -
Antonio "Tony" Castro is one of the main figures of international federative baseball. Although he does not play the sport, he is a fundamental player in the development of baseball in Cuba and internationally, since he has been active for years behind the scenes.
For that reason, it is not strange that the son of the deceased leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro Ruz, has embarked on a very particular crusade, with the support of the World Baseball and Softball Confederation (WCBS) announced today, Thursday, the creation of a form of street baseball that hopes to serve to promote the game globally, especially among youth.
"I think it's a great idea to get this sport to shine among young people from all over the world, who see in this variant an exciting, dynamic and easy to play sport. It's potential is incredible, the demands of resources are minimal and the possibilities are infinite, "commented Castro to El Nuevo Día, a by profession, who on several occasions has served as a physician for the National Baseball Teams of his country.
Tony Castro stressed that his father, who, Saturday, November 25 commemorates a year since his death, would have loved a project like this.
"He would have been fascinated by this idea, because as you can see, the potential of this game makes many people in the town happy, especially the children. The game contributes to their health, transmits values such as teamwork, and promotes the practice of sport. Undoubtedly, he would be very happy and he would support the game in every way, "he said.
Dubbed "Baseball Five", the urban variant of the game had its global debut today in Havana.
The "Baseball Five" is an adaptation of a street game practiced in Cuba under the name of "Four Corners", in which four players participate. There is "batting" - only towards a half of the court - a rubber ball using the hand and bases.
The new idea involves the participation of five players, the "batting" is free within the limits of the whole court, the bases are run and five innings are played.
The rules are quite similar between the "Baseball Five" and the Four Corners, although according to the organizers, as the modality is extended, it will be in constant evolution, and they are open to incorporate some feasible suggestions that arise on the fly.
"The main objective of this project is the globalization of baseball, increase their bond with the youngest in the world, you might see the original version as difficult to understand, and now, with this simpler version, may feel more familiar and be encouraged to practice it, "said Italian Ricardo Fraccari , president of WCBS and also present at the worldwide debut of" Baseball Five ".
The new proposal has aroused enthusiasm among young Cubans. Just before jumping into the field with his teammates, the young Arlys Alfredo Arruebarruena considered that this method will become popular among many Cubans.
"This is going to catch on with a lot of people, because it's a kind of reduced baseball, and although soccer is gaining ground right now, baseball is our national sport. It's also very dynamic and that's what young people like, "said this mechanical engineering student at the country's most important technology university and captain of the team that represented that center in today's exhibition.
The activity was carried out in areas surrounding the legendary Latin American Stadium in Havana, where the field was located for the development of an exhibition tournament between teams of both sexes, some of them made up of children and others by young people. Little by little, the place was arriving public, some attracted by the beauty and design of the court, others by music, but all impressed by the dimension that had been given to their traditional street game.
"This idea has several advantages. There are no age limits for the game, women can also be play, and even mixed teams can be formed. In addition, it takes place in a very festive atmosphere, in which everyone can enjoy this show, which is what it is about, "argued Fraccari.
From this exhibition in Havana, a promotional video will be made that will be distributed to all the federations that make up the WCBS to promote the game worldwide. According to the federation, talks have already been held with the organizers of the next Youth Olympic Games, which will be held in Buenos Aires, to play some exhibition games there.
"We also aim to create a competitive calendar and include it in some of the variants of competitions designed for urban sports," he said.
Meanwhile, Cuban baseball also expects to make good dividends from this initiative, at a time when its international competitive results and the massiveness of its game have fallen significantly, partly because of the rise won by football in terms of interest by the younger generations.
For Yosvani Aragón, national director of Cuban baseball, that has been chosen to Havana for the debut of Baseball Five is a privilege and, at the same time, an opportunity that must be taken advantage of. "This will be very beneficial for Cuban baseball, because it will contribute to a greater fan base in the game of our sport. I am sure that many children are going to approach baseball more easily, they need much less resources and that helps in a country like ours. If we organize ourselves well we will be on equal terms with football, which is played on the street with a single ball by many young people, "he added.
The expectations of the Cuban director on the success of this project are high and he assured that on the island, institutionally, a strategy to promote the "Baseball Five" is already being designed.
"As the world grows this proposal will appear in international tournaments and we are already thinking about that, designing a strategy to conduct competitions periodically to form an official calendar, at the national level and from the base, in order to have our National teams participate. And as in traditional baseball, we will always aspire to be a reference in the world, "he said.
