Lausanne, 1007 Switzerland WBSC Global Newsletter - 28 February 2019
|
|
WBSC GLOBAL NEWSLETTER - 28 FEB 2019
Â
|
Groups, locations revealed for WBSC Premier12 2019 major international baseball event
Â
The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) today revealed the locations and groups for the II WBSC Premier12®, the year's top international baseball competition and Tokyo 2020 Olympic Qualifier, which will be staged from 2-17 November and feature the 12 best Men's National Teams in the world rankings. The official website of the II WBSC Premier12 - premier12.wbsc.org/2019  - was also officially launched in six languages, including English, French, Japanese, Korean, Spanish and Traditional Chinese.Â
|
|
WBSC unveils new logo for U-19 Women's Softball World Cup
Â
WBSC unveiled the new logo of the WBSC U-19 Women's Softball World Cup, the pinnacle youth women's international softball competition. The new emblem will be rolled out for the youth Softball World Cup this year, which takes place in Irvine, California, USA, from 11-17 August. This event will include the best 16 junior softball teams in the world set to compete For the Title of World Champion. This new emblem marks the first step of the rebranding process of the softball world championships into Softball World Cups across all men and women's platforms and age-groups, and is part of a "unified" look and feel of all softball events logos. The logo will become the permanent identity for the upcoming U-18 Women's Softball World Cups, which will replace the U-19 category starting in 2020.
 |
|
Paris 2024 proposes new sports to be included in the Olympic programme
Â
On 21 February, 2019 Paris 2024 Olympic Games Organising Committee presented its shortlist for additional sports to be included on the Olympic Programme for the Games in 2024. Skateboarding, sport climbing, surfing, and breakdancing have been chosen. The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) congratulates surfing, climbing, skateboarding and breakdancing for being shortlisted for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
 The WBSC and all baseball-softball stakeholders remain fully committed to expanding our sport in France, Europe and around the world -- and emerging into one of leading major global sports. The whole community believes that our inclusive, accessible sports can help promoting the Olympic Values globally.  On 27 February, 2019 President Fraccari met with International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach. "The IOC President praised the work that the WBSC has done and is doing for the development and the modernization of our sport, and for the growth and stability that the WBSC as organization has achieved. WBSC and IOC will keep working together as it is crucial for baseball-softball to maintain the Olympic sport status regardless to the participation of our athletes at Games in the French capital. The IOC will also consider our new urban and youth-focused discipline Baseball5 for inclusion in the upcoming Youth Olympic Games." WBSC President commented after the meeting. |
|
Uganda, Kenya tune up together for the African Olympic Softball pre qualifier
Â
Uganda defeated Kenya, 2-1, in a three-game series played at the African Nazarene University in Nairobi, Kenya. Both teams used the WBSC sanctioned event to prepare together for the African Olympic Softball pre qualifier, slated to be played in Pretoria, South Africa from 7-12 May. This will be the first stage for the African nations in their road to Tokyo 2020. The top two teams in the continental championship will advance to the Europe/Africa Olympic Softball Qualifier to face the top six European teams. Only the winner of the Olympic Qualifier will be present in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Softball competition.
|
|
WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari visits Turkish Olympic Committee, discusses future of baseball/softball in the country
WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari visited the Turkish Olympic Committee (TOC) headquarters this week to discuss how the two organisations can grow the popularity of baseball and softball in Turkey. Fraccari and the accompanying delegation also visited the Turkish Minister of Youth and Sports, Mehmet Muharrem Kasapoğlu, where a number of topics were discussed, including future projects that could be put into practice in the country.
 |
|
Japan, Mexico announce rosters for Premier12 tune-up series
Japan and Mexico announced their 28-man rosters for the Samurai Japan Series 2019, tunning up for the Premier12 2019, where the Americas team aims to qualify for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. Atsunori Inaba, manager of the Samurai Japan National Baseball Team since 2017, announced the players he has selected to play the series. In the other hand the Baseball Federation of Mexico (Federacion Mexicana de Beisbol, FEMEBE) and the Mexican League (Liga Mexicana de Beisbol, LMB) announced Dan Firova as their manager, and also named their squad. The two WBSC-sanctioned games will be played at Osaka's Kyocera Dome on 9-10 March.
|
|
WBSC partners with CONADE to bring U-23 Baseball World Cup 2020, Baseball5 to Mexico
Â
The WBSC and Mexico's National Commission for Physical Culture and Sport (CONADE) announced a major partnership and Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that includes the awarding of hosting rights of the U-23 Baseball World Cup® 2020 to CONADE in conjunction with the Mexican Baseball Federation (FEMEBE). The joint announcement on the MoU was made by WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari, CONADE Director Ana Gabriela Guevara and FEMEBE President Enrique Mayorga at a press conference in the Mexican capital.
|
|
China beat Chinese Taipei in extras, wins women's softball Asia Pacific Cup
China claimed the title in the women's softball Asia Pacific Cup 2019 with a nail biter, eight innings victory over Chinese Taipei, 4-3. Both Chinese Taipei and China had stunned Japan and Australia, in the semifinal contests. The final day of the Asia Pacific Cup was just a sample of the competitiveness and parity among some of the top teams from Asia and Oceania, who will be playing the regional Olympic Softball Qualifier in Shanghai, China, from 24-29 September, with the winner advancing to Tokyo 2020.
|
|
European Baseball, Softball leaders give birth to WBSC Europe in the cradle of the modern Olympics
A total of 43 member federations of the Confederation of European Baseball and the European Softball Federation gathered in Athens, cradle of the modern Olympics, to give birth to WBSC Europe on Saturday, 2 February, 2019. European Baseball and Softball leaders are walking in the footsteps of WBSC which completed its merger in 2017 and is the sole governing body for Baseball and Softball recognized by the International Olympic Committee.
 |
|
Global development, historic Baseball5 debut in Pakistan
Pakistan Baseball Federation organized the first ever Baseball5™ game in the country, in a historic step forward to introduce and promote the new WBSC urban baseball/softball discipline in Pakistan. The game was held at Bahria Town Lahore, the second most populous city in the country, on 5 February. Baseball5 has spread all over the world in a very short period of time, with more than 40 countries being introduced to the new urban discipline in less than one year from the launch. This new sport discipline requires fewer athletes, virtually no equipment, and with no need of a dedicated venue it can be adapted to endless situations.
   Â
|
|
Japan shocked the host crowd and claimed the TAB Challenge Cup 2019 with a 3-1 victory over New Zealand in the final of the tournament. A two-run home run in the top of the sixth inning off the bat of Hikaru Matsuda provided the Japanese pitching staff enough difference to secure the title. Australia, Japan and New Zealand are tunning up for the WBSC Men's Softball World Championship 2019, to be held from 13-23 June, in Prague and Havlickuv Brod, Czech Republic. New Zealand is the defending world champion.
|
|
WBSC Athletes Commission to expand role as the voice of baseball/softball players at world levelÂ
WBSC Athletes Commission met in Rome, outlining and expanding the roles, scope and duties of the commission. The commission aims to represent the best interests and voice of baseball and softball players at the executive level of the world governing body. It was also confirmed that the WBSC Athletes Commission will attend International Olympic Committee (IOC) International Athletes' Forum in April in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is set to be the largest ever contingent of international athlete representatives.
|
|
France opens Camp, will host first Women' Baseball European Championship
Â
The French Baseball and Softball Federation (FFBS) opened Camp in Montigny le Bretonneux, near Paris, with the Women's Baseball National Team. France will host the first European Championship. A total 40 women players attended Camp. Players on the field went through physical and technical tests. This included running, throwing from a mound, agility, fielding and hitting drills. The day ended with a Baseball5 tournament played indoors.
|
|
Asia appoints new baseball leaders at Baseball Federation of Asia Congress
Baseball's governing bodies in Asia met at the Baseball Federation of Asia (BFA) Congress on Tuesday, 19 February in Taipei City, Chinese Taipei. WBSC was represented at the meeting by Executive Director Michael Schmidt. The new BFA Vice President is Japan's Masatake Yamanaka. Recently appointed as the President of the Baseball Federation of Japan, Yamanaka was a star pitcher in College but never played pro. He was inducted into the Japanese Hall of Fame in 2016. The new Members at Large are Andika Monoarfa of Indonesia, a former player and currently a business man, and Syed Fakhar Ali Shah, the President of Pakistan Baseball Federation.
Â
|
|
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador named Global Ambassador of Baseball
The President of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, accepted the role as Global Ambassador of Baseball, following a meeting with World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) President Riccardo Fraccari at the National Palace in Mexico's capital. López Obrador's appointment as Global Ambassador of Baseball generated major headlines across the nation. In his role as a WBSC Global Ambassador of Baseball, President López Obrador will support the global growth of baseball, particularly with regard to elevating baseball's status to a permanent Olympic sport.
Â
|
|
Australia names roster, looks to win another medal at WBSC U-19 Women's Softball World Cup
Australia will travel to Irvine, California, USA, aiming to clinch their 6th medal in the WBSC U-19 Women's Softball World Cup history, and reach their first-ever final in the youth event. This is the goal of the 2019 Australian roster, named after the conclusion of the National Championship. Softball Australia also announced its Women and Men's preliminary rosters to face the Asia/Oceania Olympic Softball Qualifier and the WBSC Men's Softball World Championship 2019 respectively.
Â
<a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001nIIBfAXyFuyBhQ74kg0xw0r3ilsO09IRfHnJQmEGp44samepP8Aa9STb2QnfQZRHPdJt23tJhMAQTRus
FRIENDS OF AL'S FASTBALL
|
