Baseball for the blind takes flight in Cuba

Gilberto Arteaga, who is visually impaired, participates in a baseball lesson at the Changa Medero stadium, in Havana, Cuba May 24, 2017. REUTERS/Stringer

HAVANA (Reuters) - Yubis Zapata had to stop playing baseball when he lost his eyesight during military service due to an explosion, so for him, it is a miracle to be able to play once more, in Cuba's growing league for the blind.

Baseball has long been a national passion. The Communist-run country quickly adopted this version after it was developed in the 1990s in Italy, but it has only really caught on in recent years, spreading to all corners of the Caribbean island.