Yoenis Céspedes joined the training for the next game of Cuba in the World Baseball Classic.

Photo: JIT/Twitter.

With the spirit of unity and national pride, the Cuban baseball team held its second training session here today ahead of tomorrow's semifinal duel in the World Baseball Classic, with the return of Yoenis Céspedes.

Resolved the personal situation that made him travel in advance from #Tokyo, he is already with #elCubaClasico Yoenis Céspedes, added to today's training at LoanDepot Park in Miami.

#Cuba #TeamAsere #BaseBall #ClasicoMundialdeBeisbol2023 pic.twitter.com/mUaTyEonAK

— JIT Cuban Sport (@jit_digital) March 18, 2023

The Antillean squad will be able to count on Céspedes again, according to

, and although he is not part of the favourite, the fact of returning to the world's big four is already a historic triumph for the most popular sport in the Caribbean country, declared a Cultural Heritage of the Nation.

#elCubaClasico trains at the LoanDepot Park in Miami, where this Sunday they will face

today's winner between the United States and Venezuela in the semifinal of the #ClasicoMundialdeBeisbol2023.

#Cuba #TeamAsere #BaseBall #ClasicoMundialdeBeisbol2023 pic.twitter.com/vYwwYkpvC2

— JIT Cuban Sport (@jit_digital) March 18, 2023

In addition, since their arrival in the United States, the press and the fans have given special attention to the team, which has received the best praise for its dedication and love for the shirt.

Even a central building in New York showed a message of encouragement in favor of the Cuban baseball players, now known as Team Asere, in the universal tournament.

Love & support in New York City for Cuba's Baseball Team at the #WorldBaseballClassic2023

We're with Cuba all the way to the finals!#TeamAsere pic.twitter.com/OG1el41wzG

— The People's Forum (@PeoplesForumNYC) March 17, 2023

Today they wear the uniform of the Cuban team, not only those who reside here or on the Island, but also in other nations, proud of their roots and identity.

To support this squad, at the closing evening of the second International Patria Colloquium, held in Havana, the President of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel, affirmed that this squad has already won the title and invited everyone to support it because it also helped raise the spirit of heroic resistance of the Cuban people.

However, those bent on dividing the squad spread non-existent defections in networks and insist on attacking those who decided to defend the colors of the national squad, runner-up in the first World Classic.

Precisely, one of those players who played in the Major Leagues, left-handed pitcher Roenis Elías, designated to start tomorrow, described the possibility of joining the Cuban formation as a dream come true.

"That's why I've tried to do my bit, both with my work and helping the younger guys," the 2019 Major League champion with the Washington Nationals told Jit.

Few thought that we were going to get here and look where we are, he added and considered Venezuela and the United States to be good teams and highly respectful, from which his rival will come out in the semifinals.

“We are already in the top four, but reaching the final would be much better, and with that motivation we are going to go out on the field, in my case with the mission of advancing the game as much as possible”, explained the pitcher.

In another sample of the wide following of the Cuban squad, a poll by the US sports network ESPN showed that Team Asere is the nickname with the most swing in the Classic, receiving 54.3 percent of the votes.

After today's training session for the press, he asked captain Alfredo Despaigne about the rest days added by #Cuba, and director Armando Johnson about his expectations, all ahead of the semifinal of the #WorldBaseballClassic2023.

#BaseBall #CubanBaseball pic.twitter.com/GmqMzqvM0n

— JIT Cuban Sport (@jit_digital) March 18, 2023

(With information from Prensa Latina)