Published on : 28/05/2021 – 04:39
Cuban baseball is still the victim of a defection, as the national team arrived in Florida to participate in the American baseball teams qualifier for the Tokyo Olympics. Eight teams from the Americas are vying for a place for the Olympics, and Cuba begins this tournament without one of its best players.
With our correspondent in Havana, Domitille Piron
Barely arrived on American soil, César Prieto leaves the Cuban baseball team! At 22, the talented and promising player from Cienfuego has defected. The Cuban Baseball Federation confirmed this, commenting on a decision “ contrary to the commitment made with his people and his team, and which engendered the disdain of his teammates ».
Cuba even claims to be a victim of traffickers and had already had to face a long and arduous process of obtaining a visa for the United States. The young César Prieto, is considered by some to be the best Cuban baseball player, so he could very quickly be the object of envy from the big American teams of the Major League, as was the case of several Cuban players. before him.
César Prieto is far from being an isolated case, because Cubans, unless they desert, cannot play in the big American clubs.
However, an agreement had been concluded between Major League Baseball and Cuban Federation in 2018, to allow them, but it was without counting on the sanctions of Donald Trump. Under these conditions, will the Cubans manage to qualify for Tokyo? As baseball returns to the Olympics after a 12-year hiatus, and Cuba is the country with the most medals in baseball!
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