Castro's son in Argentina for Olympic baseball

Posted on Thursday, 09.05.13

Castro's son in Argentina for Olympic baseball
BY DEBORA REY
ASSOCIATED PRESS

BUENOS AIRES -- It's among the few things that many Cubans and Americans
can agree on: Baseball should return to the Olympics.

Antonio Castro, son of former Cuban leader Fidel Castro, is in Argentina
to argue before the International Olympic Committee that baseball — now
in partnership with softball — should be returned to the Olympic games
in 2020.

Castro, whose father stepped aside as Cuba's leader when he fell ill in
2006, is representing the World Baseball Softball Confederation, which
was formed earlier this year after the IOC said the two had to merge as
one Olympic sport to be considered for a return to the Summer Games
after being removed in 2008.

IOC members meeting in Buenos Aires are to decide Sunday if
baseball-softball will be included in the Olympic program in 2020.
Squash and wrestling are also being considered, but only one will get
through.

"The task is to converse and try to convince the IOC members," Castro
said during a break in confederation meetings being held before the IOC
gathering. "The message to the whole world is that our sport forms part
of the Olympic program."

"A sport like ours, which is practiced by more than 65 million people in
the world, more than 4 million children, with more than 140 federations,
more than 140 countries transmitting it on television, can add much
value to the Olympic program," Castro said, a baseball mitt on his hand.

He declined to talk about his country's politics. But he smiled when
asked about the former longtime leader of the Caribbean country. "My
father is very well," the younger Castro said.

Source: "BUENOS AIRES: Castro's son in Argentina for Olympic baseball -
Olympics - MiamiHerald.com" -
http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/09/05/3608185/castros-son-in-argentina-for-olympic.html