Higinio Velez, head of the Cuban Baseball Federation, announced on Wednesday that everything is ready for the beginning of the 47th edition of the Cuban National Baseball Championship with the game between defending champions Santiago de Cuba and 2007 runner-up Industriales.

During a meeting with provincial commissioners, team managers and reporters at the Main Hall of the Sports City Coliseum in Havana, Velez noted that the Japanese Mizuno 150 will be the ball used during this edition of the national pastime.

He added that the 512 players that will participate in the contest are eligible for the national pre-selections and highlighted the importance of this competition as preparation for the Olympic Games in Beijing, China, next year, when the island's team will try to keep their crown.

Velez announced that, for the second consecutive year, six Venezuelan trainers will be part of the direction teams of Pinar del Rio, Villa Clara, Sancti Spiritus, Ciego de Avila, Camagüey and Santiago de Cuba as part of the sports cooperation between the two countries.

The opening game of the event will take place at the Estadio Guillermon Moncada in Santiago de Cuba next Sunday, December 2nd.

(ACN)