Cuba modifies National Baseball Series due to fuel and energy crisis

The 65th Cuban National Baseball Series has been rescheduled to begin on October 4 due to ongoing fuel shortages and electricity blackouts across the country. To adapt to these constraints, organizers have significantly modified the tournament structure to avoid long-distance travel between provinces.

The revised format will feature 44 regular-season games per team, a sharp reduction from the 75 games played in the previous season. The 16 participating teams will be divided into four regional groups across two zones:

• Western Zone: Group A (Pinar del Río, Artemisa, Isla de la Juventud, Industriales) and Group B (Matanzas, Mayabeque, Cienfuegos, Villa Clara). • Eastern Zone: Group C (Sancti Spíritus, Ciego de Ávila, Camagüey, Las Tunas) and Group D (Holguín, Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo).

The top four teams from each zone will advance to the postseason. The National Institute of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation (Inder) attributed the necessity of these changes to the current energy crisis, while stating the goal was to ensure the competition could proceed despite the difficult circumstances.