Washington - The historical leader of the Revolution, Fidel Castro, was a great promoter of baseball in Cuba and one of his most faithful followers, scholars Ismael Sene and Yasel Porto highlighted in Washington.

Fidel Castro was always aware of ballball, made friends with players, visited the stadiums, was interested in their training, and enjoyed enormously the successes of the Cuba team internationally, they pointed out.

In their opinion, no head of State achieved so much empathy with the players, to the point that many came to consider him as a true father or the person to turn to for any advice.

Sene and Porto shared these comments after screening last night at the Cuban embassy in Washington the documentary "La pasion de Fidel" (Fidel's Passion), a film released on December 31 in the Caribbean island.

The film, by Porto and Jorge Alberto Piñeiro with production of "Beisbol de Siempre" TV ball show, from Cuban channel Tele Rebelde, collects some historical moments of this sport in the island and the presence in those events of the revolutionary leader, who passed away on November 25 at the age of 90.

Anecdotes and testimonies on specific issues, such as the causes that led to the end of the professional league in Cuba, stand out in the almost one-hour film.

Sene, Porto and Piñeiro are on a visit to the United States these days to attend several events, share with North American researchers, and deeply analyze the history of the Cuban national pastime and its legacy at international level.