Medina & Rivera: Cuban duo shine as MVPs in WBSC Youth Baseball5 World Cup triumph
Cuba reaffirmed their dominance in Baseball5, capturing the WBSC Youth Baseball5 World Cup Nayarit 2025 title with a commanding win over Chinese Taipei in the final on Saturday. Their victory not only extended Cuba’s undefeated run in the young discipline but also spotlighted two rising stars: Rachel Medina and Carlos Rivera, who were both named MVPs of the tournament.
Both performed extraordinarily well during Cuba's campaign with Rivera topping the tournament statistics for number of runs (37) and hits (63) while Medina lead the tournament for RBIs (35).
For Medina, just 17, the path to the world stage began in Cuban schoolyards. She first picked up Baseball5 at the age of 11, as part of Cuba’s academic program where the sport is widely practiced.
“It all started one day when they called me to play,” she recalled. “From then on, everything felt right.”
Her journey accelerated when a teacher, Professor Quiroga, encouraged her to pursue the sport competitively. Though the WBSC Youth Baseball5 World Cup Nayarit 2025 was her first international tournament, Medina played with confidence and joy. “From Cuba we said we wanted to be champions, and until today we have achieved it,” she said proudly after the final.
Crowned MVP, Medina described the honour as the beginning of something bigger: “I feel very good, very proud of myself, and I believe this is just the beginning. What I enjoyed most was when we won – feeling like a champion with my teammates by my side.”
At 18, Carlos Rivera is already a leader in the Cuban squad. He began playing Baseball5 relatively late, around age 15, but quickly caught up through relentless training. “It’s not easy,” Rivera admitted, reflecting on Cuba’s near-perfect tournament where they dropped just one set. “But with training, sacrifice, and focus, we make it happen.”
Rivera, too, was experiencing his first world tournament. To him, the MVP trophy carries a personal meaning: “It’s a pride for me to take it to my grandmother, my family in Cuba – my mother, my sister, my nephew – who always supported me.”
Sharing the MVP honour with Medina made it even more special. “She had a lot of training and sacrifice to achieve that dream of being a world champion,” Rivera said. “In our team, everyone is a figure, but this is a very big emotion.”
Both players credited Cuba’s success to the unity of their squad. “It’s a very united team,” Rivera emphasised. “That’s what pushed us forward – support, attitude, and never giving up.”
As for what’s next, both MVPs are determined to continue in the youth categories and dream even bigger. With Baseball5 making its debut in the Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026, Medina set her sights on becoming an Olympic champion, while Rivera promised to stay focused: “Sports are my life, and I want to go to the top.”
Categories: Baseball5 , Youth Baseball5 World Cup
