Ten nations and five games inaugurate the U18 World Cup qualifier in Panama City

(Press Release; WBSC AMERICAS BASEBALL).- The Pan American tournament, qualifier for the U18 World Cup, starts this Friday at the Rod Carew and Juan Arosemena stadiums in Panama City, Panama.

Twelve countries will be competing for three places in the U18 World Cup, with Panama already classified due to the condition of having been the organizers of the qualifier tournament.

However, both Panama and the rest of the countries want to not only qualify for the tournament, but do so with a medal around their neck, standing on the podium of the event.

One of the groups will be made up of Panama, the United States, Venezuela, Brazil, Costa Rica and Puerto Rico, while the other one has Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Canada and Mexico.

On Thursday night, the Technical Congress was held in Panama City, with the in-person or virtual attendance of all the representatives of the teams that will participate in the event.

The tournament will have the games broadcasted via streaming on the Panamanian Baseball Federation channel on youtube, in addition to open television for the host team's games.

This Friday the first five games of the tournament will be held with ten teams in competition, two games at the Juan Arosemena stadium and another three at the Rod Carew.

Starting at 9am, Costa Rica and Brazil face each other at the Rod Carew and, at the same time, Nicaragua faces Cuba at the Juan Arosemana. Followed at 1pm by Guatemala and Canada at the Rod Carew, while El Salvador clashes with Mexico at the Juan Arosemena.

Afterwards, the opening ceremony of the tournament will be held and at 8pm Puerto Rico will play against Panama in the Rod Carew stadium to close the first day of competition in the tournament that awards three places for the World Cup.

(Media Department; Guillermo Yáber Llanos)