By Leif Skodnick
World Baseball Network
Panama has pulled out of the WBSC Central American Qualifier, which begins on February 6 in Nicaragua.
With Panama’s withdrawal, the event, which runs February 6-12, is down to five teams: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and host Nicaragua. The winner of the event earns a berth in the 2023 Central American and Caribbean Games in El Salvador.
Nicaraguan newspaper La Prensa reported that the president of FENIBA, the sport’s governing body in Nicaragua, Ajax Delgado, said that Panama pulled out because it prioritized the Caribbean Series over the Central American Qualifier. The outlet noted that Panama’s decision to skip the Central American Qualifier will make it difficult to fairly evaluate the country’s talent at the event, as their remaining opponents are significantly weaker.
The WBSC Americas Sector, which is running the event, has not released an updated schedule for the event.