Havana - The 7th Convention on Physical Activity and Sports (AFIDE), the main Cuban sports scientific event, began here today in the presence of more than 400 foreign and about 300 domestic delegates.

The opening ceremony took place at the Conference Center's Hall 1 in this capital, with a keynote speech, by Cuban Sports Minister, Dr. C. Antonio Eduardo Becali.

Entitled 'Cuban Sports System: Ideology of a Commander', Becali stated the main guidelines of the Caribbean sports movement, based on the ideals of the late Commander Fidel Castro.

A roundtable discussion will be held later, with protagonists of many of the Cuban athletic victories.

A gymnastic-cultural gala was held yesterday at Teatro Nacional de Cuba's Avellaneda hall, to begin the event, which kicked off its program of activities on November 17, with a Colloquium on the traditional Marabana race.

Several papers will be presented today afternoon, including the one by the President of the World Baseball Softball Confederation, Riccardo Fraccari, on the return of this discipline to the Olympic program.

Delegates from 35 countries are attending AFIDE-2017. They will participate with 547 papers among lectures, free issues, posters and panels.

Colombia (70), Ecuador (58) and Mexico (43) are the most attended foreign delegations.

Among the issues of the event are High Performance, Sports and Society, Sciences applied to baseball, psychology applied to sports, and sports medicine.