The delegation of players from MLB who will represent Cuba in the World Classic 2023 they will not be able to train prior to the event in their home country nor celebrate if they remain champions with their people due to a restriction on the Big leagues.
“It is discriminatory that Cuban baseball players, just because they have residence in the United States, cannot come to Cuba or train, or even, if we win the Classic, to celebrate,” Miguel Fraga, an official told The Associated Press. of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cuba.
The Cuban Baseball Federation denounces discriminatory treatment ❌⚾https://t.co/SSKu0bKrXw
— AS USA (@US_diarioas) January 24, 2023
Cuba will be able to participate for the first time in the event with Major League players, which gives the Caribbean nation more chances to win in the tournament that begins in March.
Another limitation is about training. “No player will have the license and will be able to participate in the pre-competition training and preparation games that the Cuban team plans to develop abroad,” they explained in the statement.
The players who will represent the island will be able to join the national team on March 3, days before the start of the event.
“Any fan, any fan knows that it is not the same to have the whole team ready, the whole team working together, knowing how the sporting form is, what are the things that must be emphasized more than seeing each other five days before a event,” Fraga said.
