Cuba's National Sports Institute (Instituto Nacional de Deportes, Educacion Fisica y Recreacion - Inder) announced on Monday the recipients of the athletes of the year awards in Cuba.
Haila Gonzalez, MVP and winner of the WBSC Baseball5 World Cup 2024, was named the best female athlete in team sports, while the Cuban National Baseball5 Team will be awarded as the best team of the year in Cuba after winning both the World Cup and the Americas Qualifier in 2024.
Gonzalez was the deserved winner of the women's MVP at the World Cup, topping RBIs with 38. She scored 21 runs and had 44 hits for a .494 average.
In addition, the Cuban National Baseball5 Team was named the most outstanding team of the year after staying undefeated on their way to claiming the Americas Qualifier and the World Cup titles.
The two-time World Cup MVP and champion Briandy Molina has been included among the most outstanding athletes of the year; while Liván Moinelo Pita, who has reached the final of Japan's NPB League with SoftBank Hawks and was leader in ERA in the NPB Pacific League, is Cuba's best pro athlete of the year.
The Cuban Blind Baseball Team will also receive a special recognition after winning the WBSC International Cup in September.
The awarding ceremony will take place on 13 December in Havana, Cuba.
