The sport of baseball was declared a National Cultural Heritage in Cuba during a ceremony that took place yesterday, 19 October, at Palmar de Junco stadium in Matanzas, Cuba, located approximately 100 km east from Havana.
During the ceremony, a study was presented that ratified baseball as an inseparable part of Cubans idiosyncrasy and a valuable heritage of the past, which will be transmitted endlessly to present and future generations, Cuban baseball leaders say.
“Congratulations to the Cuba Baseball Federation and the people of Cuba for this very special proclamation where baseball has been declared a cultural heritage,” said WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari. “Baseball also has a unique place in Cuba’s culture, which has transcended to other areas including the visual arts, theater, music, literature, and even everyday vocabulary.”
Known as the Cuban national sport, baseball has become a symbol of the Cuban nation, an inherent element of traditional popular culture, understood as sport, spectacle and tradition.
Palmar de Junco stadium, where the historic ceremony will take place, has a symbolic value for Cuban baseball. The first baseball game in the country’s history was played at this facility on 27 December 1874. The stadium has been declared a National Monument and also hosts Matanza’s Baseball Hall of Fame. According to the Cuban press, Palmar de Junco is the oldest active stadium in the world.
Cuba has been one of the historic powerhouses in international baseball, winning three Olympic Gold Medals and multiple World Cups in almost all categories.
