Cuba Faces the World Challenge in Youth Baseball

Just days away from departing for Okinawa, Japan, Cuba's Under-18 baseball team is putting the final touches on its preparation for the World Championship of the category, set to begin on September 5 with the participation of 12 national teams.

Under the direction of Abeyci Pantoja, who knows what it takes to win the National Series with the Las Tunas Leñadores, the youth squad arrives after an extensive preparation that included exhibition games against top-tier teams from the domestic championship.

There were convincing wins and narrow losses, but above all, the sense that these young players have been tested with the necessary rigor before competing on the demanding international stage.

The history of the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-18 World Cup recalls that Cuba is the most decorated country with 11 titles, though it has not lifted the trophy since 2004.

The United States, its historic rival, has accumulated 10 titles, followed by Korea with five and Chinese Taipei with three. Japan, which will defend its title at home, won its first championship only in 2023 but arrives as the undisputed favorite thanks to the strength of its school baseball system and its number one world ranking.

The immediate challenge for the Cubans is to survive a tough group. Japan is a rising power and the host, adding both pressure and advantage, while Korea, a classic of Asian baseball, knows how to topple giants with its discipline and aggressive play.

Meanwhile, Puerto Rico, which defeated Cuba in the continental qualifier, has been growing in this category with players developed both on the island and within the U.S. system.

Other group members, such as Italy, arrive as the U-18 European champions, a title that confirms the progress of baseball in the Old Continent. South Africa, on the other hand, appears as the group's underdog, but there is no room for relaxation: a stumble against them could cost the team advancement.

The competition system demands maximum concentration: the top three teams from each group advance to the Super Round, where they will face the best from the other group, which includes powerhouses like the United States, Chinese Taipei, and Panama. Every game in the initial phase, therefore, counts double.

Tomorrow, Thursday, at Latinoamericano Stadium, the youth team will test their strength against Industriales as part of their final polish. On Friday, also at that historic venue, they will receive the national flag before embarking on their journey to Asian soil, where they will have to demonstrate on the field what has been meticulously prepared in Cuba.

Baseball is a passion on the island, but recent history advises caution. Tradition and emerging talent are not enough: they must be translated into concrete victories, play by play.

The fans will support, as always, with tempered hope, knowing that words are carried away by the wind, and that the diamond is, ultimately, the most relentless judge.