(Panama America) The president of Panama, Ricardo Martinelli, and the president of the International Baseball Federation (IBAF), Italian Riccardo Fracari, today inaugurated the XXXIX edition of the Baseball World Cup in which teams from 16 countries in America, Europe , Asia and Oceania.
Martinelli said at the opening of this cup, “This is a party and I welcome the 15 nations that are here for the championship,” and recalled that four stages have been improved in Panama that will remain for future international competitions.
“We will win with the team of Panama”, predicted the ruling shortly before the ninth Panama will face Greece in the first game of the cup, the first such dispute in this Central American nation.
For his part, President of IBAF, Riccardo Fracari praised Panama for organizing this world and called on the Panamanian people to attend the stadiums during matches of this cup.
Several Panamanian majors attended the opening day, including Carlos Lee, Ruben Rivera and Roberto Kelly.
During the ceremony was also attended by Chairman of the organizing committee of the exhibition, Edwin Cabrera.
Bands and local and international artists from different genres gathered at Rod Carew Stadium, the largest of the capital, to attend the opening ceremony of the championship, where there was also a colorful display of fireworks.
The tournament, organized by the IBAF, will be held until next October 15 in four cities of Panama, three of them inside the country.
Panama, a nation that first organized a World Cup, has invested about $ 10 million for the refurbishment of the stadium and the hosting of the 16 teams.