Panama was selected to host the 2011 Baseball World Championships according to Prensa.com. The event is scheduled to have 16 teams and be played during the last week of September and first week of October.
Edwin Cabrera, president of the organizing committee, said that he estimates an investment of about $ 5 million in organizing the event.
Prensa.com reports, “The short distance between stadiums, security and the offer of lowering the participants airfare costs, was key in convincing the directors of the International Baseball Federation (IBAF).”
Baseball World will be in Panama
HENRY P. CARDENAS
hcardenas@prensa.com
The executive committee of the International Baseball Federation (IBAF, for its acronym in English) Sunday chose to Panama to host the next world championship in the sport, following a meeting which was held in Havana, Cuba.
The secrecy of the vote of the 14 committee members raised the expectation among Panamanian and Venezuelan, who also aspired to organize the games.
Edwin Cabrera, who was part of the Panamanian delegation to Cuba, and who will chair the organizing committee, said there were no details of the vote.
The short distance between stages, supply security and lower the cost of airfare of the participants were key in convincing the directors of the IBAF.
The event could take place between late September and early October. Although no exact amount it will cost organizing the world, Cabrera said the $ 5 million.
We must prepare
The first step, according to technicians Martín Crespo and Olmedo Saenz will start working in a planned way around the creation of a good squad.
“I think it’s a great opportunity that is presented to Panama and that it should take to begin to develop and restructure the baseball so that when the appointment is this a good team, which should bring together the best players in the country . First of all, the tournament must have a strict monitoring of people involved in baseball and an analysis of the players we have to form a good team with time, “said Saenz, a former major league part of the team that won the World runner-up in 2003.
According to the instructor Martín Crespo is a great achievement for the country and “we must prepare in every way to look good, not just the tourism aspect but also in the competition.
“Baseball is the national sport and we have lots of talent but we need to plan well to present a team level. We must seize that by that time most professional players will be in the country, “admitted Crespo.
The coach of the San Francisco Giants Roberto Kelly is of the opinion that must first be a good timetable for when October arrives Panama has defined the competitive structure. Kelly, the ideal manager to take charge of the national team, reiterated that it would like nothing more than direct the national team, “but before making a decision I have to sit down and talk with sports authorities.”
Secret ballot
Panama was selected as the venue to host the 2011 World Baseball, after a secret ballot of the executive of the International Baseball Federation (IBAF), for its acronym in English, met Saturday in Havana, Cuba.
Panama passed the proposal of Venezuela, which also showed its intention to host the World Cup of Baseball.
The Panamanian paper submitted by the director general of the Panamanian Institute of Sports (Panamanian Sports) was welcomed by delegates of the IBAF.
Stages
With regard to plants, a key to universal organization of this tournament, Edwin Cabrera, who will chair the organizing committee, said that the stadiums where the World Cup play are Rod Carew, the capital, Remon Cantera , Rico Cedeño and Omar Torrijos, located inside the country.
“This is a subject that corresponds to the Panamanian Institute of Sports and needs to be done to condition investment arenas,” said Cabrera.
Panama confirmed its readiness to receive a minimum of 16 countries and a maximum of 20.
World Cup costs will be covered with funds from the Government and private enterprise.
Panama passed the proposal of Venezuela, which also showed its intention to host the World Cup of Baseball.