Twelve countries will be competing in the tournament that will provide six tickets for the World Cup and seven for the Pan American Games

The other attending teams are Argentina, Aruba, Canada, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, the Netherland Antilles, Nicaragua, the US, Venezuela and the host Puerto Rico. Panama said it is arranging to enter a selection.

Cuban ballplayers began training on August 24 and will complete it with a series of games against Nicaragua on September 22-26.

All 12 teams will play three rounds, the first an elimination round robin in two groups of six nines each. The first four in each group will qualify for the second series in which they will play each other.

The third and fourth placed in that round will play for the bronze medal and the first two will play for the gold.