Santo Domingo.- The Dominican Republic inaugurated this Saturday the U-15 Pan American Pre-World Baseball Tournament, a competition that brings together the young promises of the region in search of qualification for the next world championship in this category. The opening ceremony was held at the IPL Academy Sports Complex, in the municipality of Guerra, with the participation of the teams from Aruba, Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.
The inaugural act was led by the Minister of Sports, Kelvin Cruz, who was in charge of throwing the first ball. The ball was received by George De Lira, president of the Caribbean Sub Confederation of the Pan American Baseball Confederation, while the honorary batter was Henry González, director of international operations of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the country.
During his intervention, the Minister of Sports reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to promoting youth disciplines, noting that the tournament represents an opportunity for young players to showcase their talent and continue the legacy that distinguishes the Dominican Republic as a
powerhouse of baseball.
For his part, the president of the Dominican Baseball Federation (FEDOBE), Juan Núñez, highlighted the importance of the Dominican Republic hosting an event of this magnitude and emphasized the federation’s commitment to the development of minor categories and the projection of future talents towards international scenarios.
“We are filled with pride to welcome these international delegations to Dominican soil and offer our young people the opportunity to project themselves onto world stages, demonstrating that the Dominican Republic continues to be a benchmark in world baseball,” he expressed.
Meanwhile, George De Lira acknowledged the organizational quality of the venue and emphasized the role of the Caribbean region as an inexhaustible source of talent for world baseball.
“The celebration of this U-15 Pan American Games in Santo Domingo confirms the Dominican Republic’s ability to organize first-class events and reinforces the role of the Caribbean as a breeding ground for talent that nourishes international baseball,” he said.
Carlos Marrero, a young player representing the Dominican Republic national team, took the oath to the athletes, motivating them to compete with discipline, dedication, and respect. He urged his teammates to give their best in each game, proudly defending the jersey of their countries and always maintaining the spirit of brotherhood that characterizes this international tournament.
Each day will be broadcast live thanks to the exclusive coverage of Grupo de Medios Panorama, which will bring the incidents of the tournament through VTV Channel 32 and Panorama 96.9 FM, in addition to journalistic coverage in the newspaper www.panorama.com.do, as well as on all the group’s social networks.
The championship will be played in a round-robin format until September 15th and will serve as a qualifier for the U-15 Baseball World Cup.
The opening activity was attended by government authorities, sports leaders, and personalities from national life. The blessing was given by Father Frankely Rodríguez, who offered an invocation for the success of the tournament and the participating athletes.
After the inauguration, the tournament opened with the match between Aruba and Cuba, followed by the debut of the Dominican Republic against Puerto Rico. The action will continue on Sunday with the matches between Cuba–Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic–Aruba.
On Monday, it will be the turn of Puerto Rico–Aruba in the morning, and in the afternoon of Cuba–Dominican Republic, while on Tuesday the matches Cuba–Aruba and Puerto Rico–Dominican Republic will be played. On Wednesday, Puerto Rico and Cuba will face each other in the morning and, later, Dominican Republic against Aruba.
The event will conclude on Thursday with the Aruba–Puerto Rico match and the expected duel between Dominican Republic–Cuba.
