Argentina International Tournament
August 30, 2011
Parana City, Argentina
It is the IV International Softball Tournament "Ciudad de Paraná"
From September 22 to October 2 will be played in Parana City, Argentina, the fourth edition of the International Softball Championship "Ciudad de Paraná", which will feature selections from Australia (Senior and Junior), Venezuela (Senior) and Czech Republic (Junior), plus National Teams from Argentina. The tournament is organized by Parana Softball Association (APS in its Spanish acroym) and the Argentina Softball Confederation, and is sponsored by the Ministry of Sports of the Nation and the ENARD (spanish acronym of High Performance Sports Entity).
Thus, Parana diamonds will receive again a world-class tournament, since there will be present the World Champion (Australia) and the Pan American Champion (Venezuela), facing Argentina, gold medal in the V ALBA Games 2011.
Argentina Softball will have his party again when on September 22 will start the IV International Softball Championship, an event that will serve as prelude to the IX ISF Junior Men's World Championship, to be held in Paraná, Argentina, in 2012.
This is the fourth edition of the International Softball Tournament "Ciudad de Paraná", and this is the second time that our country will receive the visit of the reigning world champion.
In the first edition, which was held in 2006, the tournament had the visit of South Africa, who finished third, behind Team of Parana Softball Association, who was champion in his homeland, and Argentina, who finished second. In the second edition in 2007, Argentine won the tournament, his only championship in this event, after beating Czech Republic in the final.
Finally, in 2008 was held the third edition of this tournament, in what was one of the most important events in the history of Argentine softball, since it was the first time we received the visit of the world champion, New Zealand at that time, and the Pan American champion Venezuela. The Black Sox showed off his power and were crowned champions against Argentina, beating our team by 3-1, including a big homer of the historic New Zealand captain, Jarrad Martin. Paraná Team was third, while the Venezuelan team finished fourth.
This year, for the first time, the tournament will be held in two parallel categories, as both national Senior teams, and national Junior tams, will play in Parana’s clay.
Senior
Among the Seniors, Argentina National Team that won the gold medal at the V ALBA Games 2011, played in Venezuela in July this year, will host Australia and the same Venezuela, who came to our country with the promise of good softball.
Australia is the reigning world champion, after claim the title in 2009 ISF ​​World Championship which took place in Saskatoon, Canada, beating in the final New Zealand by 5-0. Meanwhile, Venezuela is the latest Pan American champion, after beating Canada 3-2 in eight innings in the final of the 2006 Pan American Championships in Hermosillo.
In addition, the always complicated and talented Team of Parana Softball Association will also be present in the tournament, looking to achieve the same feat achieved in 2008, when they beat world champion (at the time) New Zealand, by 7-6, in eight innings .
Argentina and Venezuela are preparing for the main event of this softball year: Pan American Softball Championship, which will take place in the city of Hermosillo, Mexico, from November 19 to 26, a qualifying tournament for the 2013 ISF Men's World Championship , to be held in New Zealand. For its part, Australia will be returning the visit Argentina made to that country in December last year.
Youth
The International Championship in the Junior category, will also present the best international exponents. Australia has won the last four World Championships in the category, the latest in Whitehorse, Canada, where exceeded the local team in the final, by 2-1. For its part, Czech Republic is the most important European team, having played the last four Worlds in this category, with eighth place as the best location (2001 and 2005).
The venue will be Parana, Argentina, which will also host the IX ISF Junior Men's World Championship, which takes place in November 2012. The team managed by Mariano Spotorno has been working for almost two years, visiting all parts of the country to form the team that will represent Argentina in the ecumenical tournament.
As part of the preparation, this year our Junior National Team toured the United States and Canada, playing prestigious tournaments of the ISC season (like the Boys of Summer and the Tavistock's Cephas Roth Fastpitch Tournament), which pitted the best teams in the world, including Jarvis Travelers, consecrated in August ISC World Tournament champion, the most important club tournament in the world, for second consecutive time.
Parana, home of the World Youth Championship
The IV International Softball Tournament will serve as a prelude to what is, without doubt, the greatest institutional challenge faced by Argentina Softball Confederation in its history: the organization of the IX ISF Junior Men's World Championship 2012.
In October 2009, during the ISF World Congress held in Isla Margarita, Venezuela, there was news that shook the foundations of Argentine softball. The city of Parana was confirmed to host the next ISF Junior Men's World Championship 2012, after a hard joint work between members of the CAS and Parana Softball Association, which led to the filing of the nomination by the President of the CAS, Jacinto Cyprian before the ISF Congress.
"In the Worlds Commission, after the presentation of Canada and New Zealand (the other two candidate countries to host the World Championship) was my turn to make the presentation of Argentina, and Parana," ​​says Cipriota. "After a spoken introduction to the presents, we played a video and give to each member a copy with a leaflet in their language. When the presentation finished, there was a spontaneous applause of recognition."
Hours after the presentation, the news was confirmed by the vote of the plenary of the ISF Assembly. Cipriota remembers that "Bob Leveloff (then President of Softball New Zealand, and ISF Vice President for Oceania), after the presentation of New Zealand, congratulated Argentina on its sure appointment, and told all the presents, more than 200 people from all around the world, 'I was in Paraná with the Black Sox, and I guarantee you they love softball'. "
From there, began a tireless work, which still continues, both in sports and in the institutional sides, which included an "Argentinean mission " to Caracas, in 2010, to the ISF Women's World Championship held in capital of Venezuela. The delegation was composed by the leaders of the Argentina Softball Confederation, Parana Softball Association.
There were important meetings held with the Women's World Cup Organizing Committee, and the leaders of the ISF in all areas, from President Don Porter, to Director of Competitions Laurie Gouthro, through the Director of Communications Bruce Wawrzyniak or CONPASA and Venezuela Softball Federation President, Jesus Suniaga.
The World Cup Organizing Committee has been working on this event for almost two years, with the intention of giving the world a World Championship that will match the passion that exists in Argentina for our sport.
"The applause and ovation that followed the vote in the ISF Congress, and the smiles of all the presents, without exception, became the biggest challenge for softball fans in Argentina," continues CAS President. "To all those who love the softball in Argentina, be prepared to collaborate, to dream, to enjoy, and to throw good vibes from here to the World Championship 2012 in Parana, Argentina," concludes Cipriota.
This process of organization is entering its final stage, when the CAS and the APS face the last year of work for the World Youth 2012. The realization of the IV International Tournament will help the Organizing Committee of Parana 2012 draw important conclusions facing the World Championship.
