Although it had been happening since last year, it was not until a Facebook post by a Cuban television journalist that controversies and concerns arose, and in a passionate way.
The initiative of a private entrepreneur to allocate part of his personal assets to encourage Cubs players Holguin in the present National Baseball Series (SNB) It has been the center of clarifications, accusations and denials, all through social networks.
Private entrepreneur behind the “miracle” of the Holguín Cubs in the National Series
From his profile, Pavel Otero amplified the story of Carlos Armando Buch Reyes, owner of a prosperous gym in the City of Parks, who had spent figures close to 300 thousand pesos (CUP) per month out of his own pocket to reward the players of the Holguin team.
It then turned out that it was not a novelty, since he had previously done it with the team that represented the province in the champion club tournament; Furthermore, others, such as the members of the La Campana sports club, had joined the initiative by delivering food products to the players, with the knowledge and support of the local authorities.
Specialists and fans somehow link this situation with the performance of the Cubs in the current campaign, which, to the surprise of many, has led them to occupy the top of the standings.
In his opinion, the greatest interest and dedication of the players is noted to comply with the parameters and achieve cash prizes at the end of each subseries.
Crossing of opinions
Following the publication of this story, countless signs of support were generated for the idea, which Otero considered at the time worthy of being imitated by entrepreneurs from other territories.
The support was given, mostly, by the possibility it gave to the players to cover their most important needs, which now they only satisfy with the salary of barely 3,500 CUP that they receive for their contract signed with the Cuban Baseball and Softball Federation (FCBS).
However, some alerts also went off from the official level, which perhaps were not in Buch Reyes’ calculations when he decided to give details of his initiative, and authorize its disclosure.
The alarm signs did not take long to appear and the journalist announced that the position taken by the Inderthrough its legal director Karel Luis Pachot, had the sole purpose of “guiding and advising” the entrepreneur, to “legally” channel the cash prizes, something that was dissociated from a sponsorship activity.
In addition to pointing out that the guidelines for the use of sponsorship and advertising are included in the recently promulgated Law of the Cuban Sports Systemthe Inder legal specialist presented some ideas based on a resolution approved in 2020 by the organization, as part of the “Disciplinary Regulations for the Competitive Baseball System.”
It calls for honest and transparent practices to ensure compliance with anti-corruption laws and regulations. In that sense, it refers to the acceptance of “gifts, advantageous conditions, salaries, trips, commissions or any other form of compensation that may influence or compromise a decision for the benefit or detriment of an athlete, team or the Cuban sports system.”
Pachot also emphasized compliance “with the provisions of the money laundering regulations applicable throughout the world, in accordance with current laws,” something that some assumed was a veiled warning to the Holguín entrepreneur.
It didn’t take long for posts to appear on social media pointing out that Buch Reyes “could be facing legal problems” for having made public his monetary contributions to Cubs players.
The television communicator, in the same way, emphatically denied the information, and classified its authors as “people who insist on doing harm and creating morbidity and slander on social networks.”
Few lights… many rumors
Although in the middle of last October Pachot spoke on the television program Live Ball Some aspects linked to sponsorship and advertising included in the current norm, public ignorance on the subject still prevails.
In the absence of detailed information through official channels, indications have circulated on social networks about rates that would be applied to those interested in becoming sponsors of the SNB.
According to the “leaked”, the amounts to access the benefits of each category range from 13 to 71 million CUP during the current baseball season, although it has not yet emerged that any agreement of this type has been reached.
According to Otero, who on this issue has become a kind of spokesperson, despite the high sums there are already “several requests from sponsors and companies to finance the teams that will be in the playoffs of the current National Baseball Series, as well as insert their advertising in stadiums, sports broadcasts, among others.”
Without denying the veracity of what was disclosed, he clarifies that, although it is about baseball, it is not the FCBS, but the Sociedad Mercantil Cubadeportes SA, that is in charge of negotiating these contracts, since it is the entity that owns “the commercial rights of the Sports Federations that include these issues of sports marketing.”
In reference to the amounts, he explains that they correspond to different “packages of various services for a complete campaign,” and that the candidates would have the ability to adjust them to their needs and possibilities.
In the same post, the communicator anticipates that he will continue publishing information about the specific services provided by Cubadeportes SA and other details about sponsorship “that are being evaluated for immediate approval.”
We will have to wait until then to have a little more clarity and know with certainty if the “aid” to the Cubs continues.
