COLOMBIA – Baseball has struck out at the ninth South American Games to be held from March 19-30 in Medellin due to a lack of teams. The host country, Argentina and the Netherlands Antilles were the only squads to show interest in the competition.

Although the South American Sports Organization (Odesur) had lowered the minimum number of participants to four teams instead of five, baseball joined a pair of women’s sports – boxing and water polo – that were booted from the event.

Brazil, Chile, Panama and Venezuela – all members of the International Baseball Federation (IBAF) – failed to register for the international tournament.

CUBA WITHDRAWS FROM CARIBBEAN GAMES
Politics has reared its ugly head in sports once again as Cuba announced recently that the island nation would boycott the Central American and Caribbean Games slated for Mayaguez, Puerto Rico in July.

The Cuban Sports Institute and the Cuban Olympic Committee agreed to skip the event due to several concerns including the safety of its athletes and the possibility of its airplanes being confiscated by U.S. authorities.

Photo courtesy of Luis Rodríguez/El Heraldo

Sources: Télam, Havana Times

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