WBSC awards Premier12 2019/Olympic Qualifier hosting rights to Japan’s NPB for 2nd Round and Finals The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) and Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) league today announced a hosting partnership for the second edition of the Premier12® in November 2019. As part of the agreement, NPB has been awarded the hosting rights […]
via WBSC awards Premier12 2019/Olympic Qualifier hosting rights to Japan’s NPB… — newfanzoneblog
The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) today joined players and leadership from leagues around the world in welcoming the landmark decision by the hosts of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games to propose adding baseball/softball among five new sports for the Games in 2020.
Tokyo 2020 said in a statement: “This package of events represents both traditional and emerging, youth-focused events, all of which are popular both in Japan and internationally. They will serve as a driving force to further promote the Olympic Movement and its values, with a focus on youth appeal, and will add value to the Games by engaging the Japanese population and new audiences worldwide, reflecting the Tokyo 2020 Games vision.”
The top sport in Japan, baseball/softball is the biggest sport not currently featured at the Olympic Games — particularly in terms of youth participation in actual organised competition, as the vast majority of baseball/softball’s estimated 65 million athletes in over 140 countries are between the ages of 5 to 21.
Tokyo 2020’s proposal for additional events must be reviewed, voted upon and formally approved by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil next August ahead of the 2016 Games.
“Tokyo 2020’s decision to propose our sport is a ‘home run’ and giant leap forward for baseball and softball,” said WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari. “On behalf of WBSC and our athletes, I would like to thank Tokyo 2020 as well as IOC President Thomas Bach, whose Olympic Agenda 2020 vision has paved the way for this extraordinary opportunity. The entire baseball and softball world is excited and ready to cross the Olympic home plate. But above all, I am happy for all our male and female athletes who today can see there is a real chance to fulfil their greatest dream of representing their country in the most important sporting spectacle there is — the Olympic Games.”
Japanese National Team 2008 Olympic softball gold medallist Yukiko Ueno stated, “Everybody in baseball and softball has their sights on the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and wants to play for gold in front of some of the best crowds in the world.”
Cuba’s star baseball pitcher Yosvani Torres (world No. 3 Cuban National Team member and 2014 Most Valuable Player of the Cuban National Series with club Pinar del Río) expressed, “The National Baseball Team is a great source of pride for our entire country and it would be the highest honour/duty and thrilling to represent my country and our sport in the Olympics — the pinnace of sports.”
Major League Baseball (MLB) Commissioner Rob Manfred said: “Today’s announcement by Tokyo 2020 to include baseball/softball into its proposal for additional events at the 2020 Olympic Games is an exciting step forward to hopefully seeing our game return to this great platform. We look forward to the IOC’s decision in August 2016.”
Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) Commissioner Katsuhiko Kumazaki, stated, “The recommendation today from Tokyo 2020 to restore Olympic baseball and softball has drawn attention here in Japan as well as globally. United with WBSC and our colleagues from around the world, baseball and softball want to shine bright for Tokyo 2020 and the Olympic Movement moving forward.”
WBSC President Fraccari added: “Baseball and softball’s global position, expansion and opportunities today are thanks to all of our partners’ contributions and a shared vision to return our sport to the highest stage in sports, the Olympic Games. And we will do everything possible so that baseball and softball, if included, are a great attraction/success for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and IOC’s Agenda 2020, as it remains WBSC’s top priority to demonstrate that our sport aligns with the Olympic Movement and has the qualities to earn a place on the Olympic programme in 2020 and in future Games.”
WBSC’s previous Olympic bid, which proposed baseball and softball for the 2020 and 2024 Olympic Games, earned the second-highest amount of votes at the 2013 IOC Session in Buenos Aires, Argentina, finishing behind wrestling.
WBSC Summer: U-12 Baseball World Cup, U-18 Baseball World Cup and U-19 Junior Women’s Softball World Championship showcase youth appeal, women in sport in countdown to September Tokyo 2020 decision
Lausanne, Switzerland — The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) concluded a two-day interview from 7-8 August in the Japanese capital with Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games organisers to outline the viability and potential value added to the Tokyo 2020 Games with baseball and softball — Japan’s national sport — included.
WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari led a seven-person baseball/softball delegation in Tokyo that included home run king and sports legend Sadaharu Oh and Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) chief Katsuhhiko Kumazaki. NPB, Japan’s most popular sports league and WBSC Member, attracted more than 23 million spectators in 2014, the second-highest recorded attendance of any sports league in the world in 2014.
Oh joined the WBSC delegation following his throwing out of the ceremonial first pitch on 6 August that commemorated the 100th anniversary of Japan’s annual “Koshien” National High School Baseball Championship — the legendary two-week youth tournament that fills the 48,000-seat Hanshin Stadium and is televised nationally.
Also part of the delegation from WBSC leadership was Secretary General Ms. Beng Choo Low, Softball Executive Vice President Dale McMann, Japan Softball Association (JSA) Vice President and three-time Japanese Olympic Softball Team coach Ms. Taeko Utsugi, Athlete Representative and 2008 softball Olympian, Ms. Maria Soto.
Baseball/softball is one of eight new sports being considered by Tokyo 2020 following Olympic Agenda 2020’s landmark ruling last December that allows Olympic hosts to propose adding sports that are not currently on the Olympic programme but could help engage audiences and young people in the host nation and around the world.
The top sport in Japan in terms of youth participation, infrastructure, media coverage and fan-following, baseball and softball are played by an estimated 65 million men and women athletes in over 140 countries worldwide.
“Given our sport’s footprint in Japan and worldwide, WBSC and our global partners hoped to have shown during the interview in Tokyo that staging Olympic baseball and softball in 2020 would be easily accommodated — fully in the spirit of Olympic Agenda 2020 — and the added value as well as the historic value would be a ‘home run’ for Tokyo 2020, the Olympic Movement and our sport,” said President Fraccari.
Following the presentation to Tokyo 2020, President Fraccari and legendary coach Utsugi attended the finals of 2015 JSA Japan Cup that brought the Women’s National Softball Teams of Australia, Chinese Taipei, Japan and the United States to Ogaki City.
Tokyo 2020 is expected to announce a proposal for additional event(s) by 30 September 2015.
Connecting to Youth, Women in Sport and Universality
Ahead of Tokyo 2020’s additional event announcement, the XXVII WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup 2015 will unite the sport’s future stars in Osaka from 28 August to 6 September, with the semi-finals and finals taking place at historic Hanshin “Koshien” Stadium, built in 1924.
The 12 qualified nations of the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup heading to Osaka mark a global footprint that represents Africa, Asia, Europe and Oceania and spans across the entire western hemisphere from North-, South-, and Central America and the Caribbean.
The last WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup in 2013 had a potential broadcast reach of 144 million homes and potential online/mobile reach of 20 million.
The XI WBSC Junior Women’s Softball World Championship 2015 is currently taking place from 9-15 August at the premier softball facility in the United States, at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.
Battling for the world championship in Oklahoma City are the Women’s U-19 National Teams of Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Chinese Taipei, Colombia, Czech Republic, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Puerto Rico and the United States.
The III WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup 2015 — the only official youth world championship in all of sport in this age category — concluded days before the interview with Tokyo 2020.
The final of the WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup produced a record sell-out crowd of more than 11,000 fans at Tainan Municipal Stadium on 2 August, and more than 150,000 online and mobile viewers tuned into the live global webcast of the final.
The 12 qualified nations in Tainan were world No. 1 Japan, defending world champions No. 2 United States No. 3 Cuba, Asian champions No. 4 Chinese Taipei, No. 8 South Korea, No. 10 Venezuela, No. 12 Mexico, No. 14 Australia, No. 15 Brazil, Americas champions No. 16 Nicaragua, No. 28 France, and European champions No. 32 Russia.
Snoopy and the Peanuts Gang were the Official Global Ambassadors of the WBSC 2015 U-12 Baseball World Cup.
In November, the WBSC is launching a new flagship international baseball competition, the Premier12, which is the Men’s National Team championship that unites the top 12 nations from the WBSC World Rankings. The semi-finals and finals of the inaugural 2015 WBSC Premier12 will be staged at the iconic Tokyo Dome. The 2019 Premier12 could potentially serve as an Olympic qualifier, helping to further promote Tokyo 2020 in the lead-up to the Games.
Overseeing the sport’s wave of global activity, WBSC’s organisational structure and reach consists of 212 National Federations and Associate Members, including professional leagues, across 141 countries and territories worldwide.
WBSC’s previous Olympic bid, which proposed men’s baseball and women’s softball for the 2020 and 2024 Olympic Games, earned the second-highest amount of votes at the IOC Session in Buenos Aires in 2013, finishing behind wrestling.
The final decision on the composition of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic sports programme will be taken at the 129th IOC Session in Rio de Janeiro in August 2016.
TAIPEI CITY — The official competition schedule, tournament bracket and full list of venues for the WBSC Premier12™ global baseball battle were revealed by the international governing body at a press conference in Taiwan’s capital.
(Download the Official 2015 WBSC Premier12 Competition Schedule and Opening Round Schedules for each country here.)
In November, the Top 12 countries from the WBSC Baseball World Rankings will unite for the first time ever in the Premier12 battle for pride that will challenge each nation to prove and defend its world rankings, with a US$ multi-million purse and large-scale bonus of ranking points at stake.
Thirty-eight global games will be staged across Taiwan’s Taichung Intercontinental Stadium, Taoyuan International Baseball Stadium, Tien-Mou Stadium and Dou-Liou Stadium, and Japan’s Sapporo Dome and Tokyo Dome, in order to determine the ultimate baseball nation.
OPENING CONTESTS
Rivals world No. 1 Japan (2-time World Baseball Classic champions, 2014 U-21 Baseball World Cup silver medallists and 2013 U-18 Baseball World Cup silver medallists) and world No. 8 S. Korea (2014 Asian Games champions) will meet on 8 November in the historic Game 1/Group B opener. It will be the first time in 6 years that the star-filled/professional National Teams of Samurai Japan and S. Korea will face off against each other in what is sure to electrify the Sapporo Dome and set the tone for Premier12.
World No. 2 United States (2013 and 2012 U-18 Baseball World Cup champions, and 2013 U-12 Baseball World Cup champions) and world No. 6 Dominican Republic (2013 World Baseball Classic champions) are also in Group B and will make their debut together in Taoyuan on 10 November.
World No. 3 Cuba (2014 Central American and Caribbean Games champions, and 2014 U-15 Baseball World Cup champions) and world No. 7 Canada (2012 U-18 Baseball World Cup silver medallists and 2011 Pan-Am Games champions) are in Group A and will square off in Taichung on 10 November.
World No. 4 Chinese Taipei (2014 U-21 Baseball World Cup champions and 2012 U-18 Baseball World Cup bronze medalists) and world No. 5 Netherlands (2014 European champions and 2013 World Baseball Classic semifinalists) will open Group A action on 9 November in Taichung for the day’s sole/featured.
World No. 9 Puerto Rico (2nd place — 2013 World Baseball Classic) and world No. 11 Italy (2nd place — 2014 European Championship and 2013 World Baseball Classic quarter-finalists) will meet for the first time since 2013 when they open against each other in Taichung on 10 November.
World No. 10 Venezuela (2014 U-15 Baseball World Cup bronze medallists and 2012 U-15 Baseball World Cup champions) and world No. 12 Mexico (5th place 2014 U-15 Baseball World Cup and 4th place 2011 Pan Am Games).
TOURNAMENT BRACKET
(See WBSC Premier12 bracket animation; image)
Four of the Premier12-nations will be sent home after the first round, group stage (Games 1-30) taking place from 8-15 November. The eight surviving nations will advance to the heated knockout stage where it’s Group A versus Group B on 16 November in the quarter-finals (Games 31-34).
After the quarterfinal-KOs, four more nations will be eliminated and ushered back to their respective countries, while the four nations to successfully navigate through the first week of the Premier12 global battle will be flown from Taiwan to Tokyo for the climax of the event at the crown jewel venue, the Tokyo Dome, where the semi-finals — Game 35 on 19 November and Game 36 on 20 November — will be staged. The two countries defeated in the semi-finals will pair up for the bronze medal finale (Game 37) on 21 November, just ahead of the ultimate global game.
Winners of Games 35 and 36 will earn a ticket to play on the highest stage, where a US$ million dollar cash purse, a large bonus of world ranking points and the decisive battle for their country’s national pride and honour will be on the line. The two finalists will go head-to-head in the grand championship/gold medal finale on 21 November (Game 38).
Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) — the second highest-attended sports league in the world in 2014 (surpassing 23 million in attendance) — and world-class organisers Chinese Taipei Baseball Association (CTBA) are co-hosting the inaugural WBSC Premier12.
The World Baseball Softball Confederation announced the groups for the 2015 WBSC U18 Baseball World Cup, which will be staged from 28 August – 06 September in Osaka, Japan.
The twelve qualified nations (alongside their current world ranking) of the XXVII U18 Baseball World Cup have been placed into two groups by the WBSC International Baseball Tournaments Commission:
Group A Group B
No. 1 Japan No. 3 Cuba
No. 2 United States No. 4 Chinese Taipei
No. 12 Mexico No. 7 Canada
No. 14 Australia No. 8 South Korea
No. 15 Brazil No. 11 Italy
No. 20 Czech Republic No. 29 South Africa
A group round robin will open action of the 2015 U18 Baseball World Cup. The top three finishers from each group will meet in the Super Round Robin, with the two nations with the best total records qualifying for the U18 World Championship finale at Japan’s “Baseball Mecca”, historic Koshien Stadium, which was built in 1924.
Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), a WBSC Member, is adjusting the Hanshin Tigers’ home schedule at the legendary 47,000-seat Koshien Stadium to accommodate the 2015 U18 Baseball World Cup.
The 2015 U18 Baseball World Cup will feature six out of the Top 10 nations in the world, and eleven out of the Top 20, setting the stage for the most competitive U18 World Cup on record.
The 2015 U18 Baseball World Cup will represent a global footprint that spans across the entire western hemisphere from North-, South-, and Central America and the Caribbean — and Africa, Asia, Europe and Oceania.
The last U18 Baseball World Cup in 2013 had a potential broadcast reach of 144 million homes and potential online/mobile reach of 20 million, based on reports furnished by leading media rights agency and WBSC partner MP & Silva.
WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari said:
“The baseball and softball world is hopeful that the young stars at the 2015 U18 Baseball World Cup in Japan, as well as other players around the world, will have the opportunity to represent their countries and our sport at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Baseball and softball have surpassed a number of historical benchmarks in recent years in terms of youth platforms, gender equality, globalisation, building National Team brands and expanding the broadcast reach of international competitions, which could potentially help serve the mission of the IOC and Olympic Movement.”
The World Baseball Softball family is anxiously awaiting the process to next year’s IOC session just prior to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, that will decide which new sporting events will be included at the Tokyo 2020 Games. Baseball and Softball — top sports in Japan — as well as other sports have been in discussions with Tokyo 2020 Games organisers and the IOC on the new process to include extra sporting events as part of the IOC’s Agenda 2020 reforms.
U18 Global Launching Pad for Stars of the Future
The WBSC U18 Baseball World Cup, along with its continental qualifiers, have featured some of the biggest names in the sport, such as Canada’s Brett Lawrie, Japan’s Yu Darvish, South Korea’s Shin-soo Choo, Cuba’s Yasiel Puig and Aroldis Chapman, and USA’s Clayton Kershaw, Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, Buster Posey, among countless others. The most recent generation of rising stars include Cuba’s Yoan Moncada, Jorge Soler, USA’s Francisco Lindor, Canada’s Dalton Pompey and Japan’s Shohei Ohtani and Shintaro Fujinami.
World No. 2 USA will be entering the U18 Baseball World Cup — the highest competition platform that features baseball’s most elite players in this age group — as the two-time defending U18 World Champions.
In addition to the U18 Baseball World Cup, the 2015 WBSC official international calendar includes the Men’s Softball World Championship and Pan American Games, both in Canada; the U12 Baseball World Cup in Tainan, Chinese Taipei; the U19 Women’s Softball World Championship in Oklahoma City, USA; the inaugural Premier 12™ Pro Championship, co-hosted by Japan and Chinese Taipei; and the historic Europe vs Japan Series that took place last month at the Tokyo Dome.
The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), the world governing body for the two sports, announced today that Eurosport 2 will be the exclusive broadcaster across Europe for the newly announced Europe versus Japan Series, where the first-ever “Europe” continental baseball team will make its historic debut in a two-game series, hosted by Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), on 10-11 March at the 55,000-seat Tokyo Dome.
Eurosport 2, which broadcasts to 73 million households in 18 languages across 51 countries, has obtained the rights to the WBSC Europe vs. Japan Series across all broadcast platforms, including internet and mobile devices in all languages.
“The WBSC is proud to partner with an industry leader like Eurosport and showcase this exciting new international baseball competition, the new Europe baseball brand, and its athletes to audiences across Europe,” said WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari. “This is a major milestone that helps to mark baseball’s evolution and appeal as a global sport.”
WBSC leadership also hailed the broadcast agreement, and the continued wave of developments and growth, as highlighting baseball and softball’s universality and steadily increasing popularity across key targets, such as Europe, particularly as WBSC and its key stakeholders remain committed to and hopeful of returning the bat-and-ball sports to the Olympic Games.
Following baseball and softball’s steady rise in popularity in Europe, WBSC unveiled plans in early February to establish the “Europe” branded baseball team; leading sports performance brand Asics has since become the official kit sponsor for Team Europe.
Team Europe, which will be guided by Netherlands and Italy team managers, and Samurai Japan revealed their rosters earlier this week and consider the upcoming match-up in March as a key opportunity in the preparations leading to the 2015 WBSC Premier 12™, with the same Tokyo Dome set to host the Premier 12 semifinals and finals.
Top ranked Japan, No. 5 Netherlands and No. 11 Italy have all qualified for the inaugural Premier 12 that will feature the Top 12 baseball nations in the world and will take place this November in Japan and Taiwan.
The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), the world governing body for the sports, today unveiled the team rosters for the Europe versus top ranked Japan two-game baseball series scheduled for 10-11 March at the Tokyo Dome.
WBSC also announced today that sportswear brand Asics has become the official apparel sponsor of the newly established “Europe” men’s baseball team.
Under the sponsorship agreement, Asics, a leading sports performance brand, will outfit Europe with a complete set of official competition apparel, including uniforms (home and visitors), hats, shoes, belts, jackets, undershirts and pullovers — and training suits and running shoes for the team’s historic debut versus Samurai Japan.
“The WBSC couldn’t be more pleased to partner with a leading, high-performance sports brand, like Asics, to help guarantee a successful launch of this new type of competition in which Europe will make its debut,” said Masaru Yokoo, WBSC Baseball Marketing Director. “This is a great day for our sport and another key step forward that highlights baseball’s rise and potential in Europe as a viable and attractive property.”
As baseball/softball’s popularity steadily increases in Europe, WBSC announced plans two weeks ago to summon the first-ever united European baseball team to provide an additional platform with which to raise the profile and showcase the brand of baseball in Europe.
The official look and apparel design for the Asics-backed Europe team will be unveiled next month in Tokyo.
TEAM ROSTERS
World No. 1 Japan, under manager Hiroki Kokubo, will go with a 26-man roster that features players and national heroes from all 12 of Nippon Professional Baseball’s (NPB) clubs, led by Hiroshima Carp and the Softbank Hawks, each of which has four players making it on the National Team.
Nineteen of Japan’s 26 players were on the roster for the Japan vs. MLB best-of-five series last November, won by hosts Japan.
Europe’s head coach, Steve Janssen (Netherlands National Team manager), selected his roster of 28 players from five countries (by world rank): No. 5 Netherlands, No. 11 Italy, No. 17 Spain, No. 18 Germany and No. 27 France. (See Europe’s full Roster.)
The 2011 World Champions, Netherlands, take the honour of having the most players selected (15) to represent Europe, including 10-time Major League Baseball Gold Glove winner Andruw Jones, who played the past two seasons with NPB’s Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles and played for the Netherlands in the 2013 World Baseball Classic.
Italy will have six players heading to Tokyo to represent Europe, including NPB’s Orix Buffaloes pitcher, Alessandro Maestri, while Spain (4), Germany (2) and France (1) will also have a presence for Europe.
“I have either been their coach or have coached against them in international competition, and I think our coaching staff has put together a solid roster and talented group,” said Janssen. “It’s a huge honour and great opportunity — and responsibility — for our players to enter the stage wearing the ‘Europe’ jersey, competing against the No. 1 ranked country in the world in their home. This is baseball…this is what it’s all about.”
CPBL UMPIRES TO OFFICIATE EUROPE VS JAPAN SERIES
WBSC also revealed that umpires from the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) — a WBSC Associate Member — will officiate and oversee the two-game series to ensure neutrality, highlighting the WBSC Family’s shared vision to grow the sport globally and safeguard the integrity of the game.
NPB — the second highest-attended major sports league in the world in 2014 (approx. 23 million) and also a WBSC Associate Member — is the host of the Europe versus Japan two-game series.
The first-ever baseball team representing “Europe” will be established and will make its historic debut in a two-game series against the top-ranked Japanese National Professional Baseball Team in Tokyo next month, Riccardo Fraccari, President of the World Baseball Softball Confederation, announced.
The WBSC “Global Baseball Match-Up 2015” between Europe and world No. 1 Samurai Japan will be played from 10-11 March at the iconic 55,000-seat Tokyo Dome, marking the first time an entire continent is represented in an official international baseball competition.
Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) — the second highest-attended major sports league in the world in 2014 (approx. 23 million) and WBSC Associate Member — will host the Europe vs. Japan two-game series.
“This is an unprecedented and historic event that signifies baseball’s expansion into a totally new competition format,” said WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari, “and, I am confident that this new type of international baseball competition being rolled out by WBSC will be exciting and highly appealing to the players, fans and key stakeholders.
“I would like to thank NPB Commissioner Katsuhiko Kumazaki for his important role in not only realising but sharing and strengthening this vision.”
The world governing body leader said the establishment of the continental selection will unite Europe’s top baseball players from among the 43 European nations in which WBSC has a Member Federation.
“It will be a great source of pride and validation for those nations whose players are selected to represent Europe, and this new concept that we are realising will provide an additional platform with which to raise the profile and brand of baseball in Europe and within each respective nation,” said Fraccari.
The official look and apparel design for Team Europe are under development and will be unveiled in the coming weeks.
In preparation for the series, the leader of top-ranked Samurai Japan, Hiroki Kokubo, is in the process of touring the training camps of various NPB clubs in Japan to evaluate talent, in order to build up a collection of stars for his roster.
Kokubo, who guided Japan to victory over Team MLB in a best-of-five series last November, stated weeks ago that he will assemble a “Dream Team” with Japan’s biggest names in baseball for the inaugural WBSC Premier 12™ Professional World Championship that will take place in November in Japan and Taiwan; the Samurai leader will use the match-up against Europe to further solidify and test his National Team leading to the Premier 12.
Kokubo said: “Considering the WBSC Premier 12 coming up, I think this match-up with Europe, feeling each other out, will be important.”
Europe will make its world debut under current Netherlands National Team manager, Steve Janssen, who led the Netherlands to the 2014 CEB European Championship.
“It is a tremendous honour and great responsibility to lead Europe,” said Janssen, “and playing against one of the best teams in the world is going to be a very exciting and challenging first test.”
Italy’s National Team manager, Marco Mazzieri, who advanced Italy to the quarterfinals of the 2013 World Baseball Classic, will also be an integral part of Europe’s coaching staff and will work closely with Janssen in selecting the players who will represent the first-ever Europe team at the Tokyo Dome in March.
Both Janssen and Mazzieri will also be leading their respective National Teams at the 2015 WBSC Premier 12, as No. 5 Netherlands and No. 11 Italy are among the top twelve (the “Premier 12”) nations in the world that will be featured and make up the new flagship event.
Ticketing for the Europe vs. Samurai Japan Series opened yesterday (6 February), while team rosters will be revealed in an upcoming announcement.
World governing body WBSC announced today a landmark agreement that awards Tainan City, Chinese Taipei the hosting rights of the next three editions (2015, 2017, 2019) of the WBSC Under-12 Baseball World Cup, which is the only international baseball tournament in this age group (11-12 years old) to feature National Teams (along with the U12 World Cup continental qualifiers), and is the only world championship tournament in all of sports at this age level.
WBSC also revealed the qualified nations and dates for the 2015 U18 and U12 Baseball World Cups — the highest and most elite competition platforms for baseball players in these age groups.
WBSC leadership hailed the latest breakthrough agreement on the U12 World Cup, which follows last week’s major announcements on WBSC’s new flagship professional world championship — Premier 12™ — as key indicators that baseball and softball’s National Team international competitions, which are exclusive to WBSC and its Members, continue to gain a foothold among athletes, hosts, fans, broadcasters and sponsors in the sporting world’s highly competitive marketplace.
While traditionally awarding each edition of the Baseball World Cup to new host countries, WBSC leaders cited the sustainability, reduced costs and streamlined operational planning in awarding Tainan the next three editions of the U12 World Cup, which will also maximise returns and the legacy for the host city, WBSC leaders said.
The new approach, specific to the WBSC U12 World Cup, which WBSC leaders regard as having “tremendous potential to mature into one of the baseball’s biggest international showcases”, will present new opportunities to enhance and tailor long-term partnerships and sponsorship strategies for all concerned stakeholders, WBSC officials highlighted.
2015 WBSC U18 Baseball World Cup XXVII — Japan
It was also announced that the 2015 WBSC U18 World Cup will be staged from 28 August – 06 September, with the “Mecca of Japanese Baseball” — historic Koshien Stadium in Nishinomiya built in 1924 — serving as an iconic backdrop for the world’s best 18-year-old baseball players and future superstars.
Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) is adjusting the Hanshin Tigers’ home schedule at the legendary 47,000-seat (Hanshin) Koshien Stadium to accommodate and further add to the prestige of the WBSC U18 Baseball World Cup — and to honour the best young baseball players in the world and help drive a magical in-stadium fan-experience.
The nations heading to Koshien Stadium have been finalised after the first-ever U18 World Cup continental qualifiers in Africa (Mera, Kenya) and Oceania (Auckland, New Zealand) concluded this past weekend. The historic qualifiers were regarded by WBSC leadership as “key breakthroughs in baseball/softball’s global evolution that unite the U18 Americas, Africa, Asia, Europe and Oceania continental championships”.
The U18 World Cup in Japan will feature seven out of the Top 10 nations in the world, and eleven out of the Top 20, making for one of the most competitive U18 World Cups on record.
The powerful bloc of U18 World Cup qualified nations represents a global footprint that spans across the entire western hemisphere, Africa, Asia, Central and Southern Europe, and Oceania:
Americas (North-, Central- and South America, and the Caribbean): Two-time defending U18 World Champions No. 2 USA, No. 3 Cuba, No. 7 Canada, No. 12 Mexico and No. 16 Brazil.
Africa: No. 29 South Africa
Asia: No. 1 Japan, No. 4 Chinese Taipei, No. 8 South Korea
Europe: No. 11 Italy and No. 20 Czech Republic
Oceania: No. 14 Australia
WBSC officials are confident the 2015 U18 World Cup’s broadcast and online/mobile reach will surpass the record broadcast numbers of its 2013 U18 World Cup predecessor — which had a potential broadcast reach of 144 million homes and potential online/mobile reach of 20 million, based on reports furnished by leading media rights agency and WBSC broadcast partner MP & Silva. WBSC leaders base forecasts on the strength of the 2015 U18 World Cup nations, as well as the current positive audience growth trends for international baseball properties that feature WBSC’s Members’ National Teams.
U18 Global launching pad for future stars
The biennial U18 world championship showcase has featured some of the biggest names in the sport, such as Canada’s Brett Lawrie, Japan’s Yu Darvish and Shohei Ohtani, South Korea’s Shin-soo Choo, Cuba’s Yasiel Puig and Aroldis Chapman, and USA’s Justin Upton and Buster Posey, among countless others. The most recent generation of rising stars include Cuba’s Jorge Soler, USA’s Francisco Lindor and Canada’s Dalton Pompey, all of whom played at the 2010 U18 Baseball World Cup in Thunder Bay, Canada (which will return as host for the 2017 WBSC U18 Baseball World Cup).
2015 WBSC U12 Baseball World Cup III — Nations and Dates
The third edition of the U12 Baseball World Cup, which will showcase the best 12-year-old baseball players in the world, will take place from 24 July to 2 August in Tainan City, with the United States, “Team USA”, entering as the defending U12 World Champions.
The twelve nations qualified for 2015 U12 Baseball World Cup represent a global expansion that includes a first-ever representative from Oceania:
Americas: No. 2 USA, No. 3 Cuba, No. 10 Venezuela, No. 12 Mexico, No. 13 Panama and No. 16 Nicaragua
Asia: No. 1 Japan, No. 4 Chinese Taipei, No. 8 South Korea
Europe: No. 27 France and No. 32 Russia
Oceania: No. 14 Australia
Added excitement will surround this year’s U18 and U12 World Cups, which kick-off the 4-year world rankings cycle — as points earned from these events will be the first to go toward the world rankings that will eventually determine the qualified nations for the 2019 Premier 12™ Pro Baseball World Championship.
Logos, groupings and tournament schedules for the U18 and U12 Baseball World Cups will be unveiled in future announcements.
— Iconic Tokyo Dome to stage 2015 Premier 12 Semi-finals and Finals– Official Logo, Tournament Dates for Premier 12 Flagship Event Unveiled in Tokyo
— Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games High on WBSC Agenda
The President of the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), Riccardo Fraccari, and the Commissioner of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), Katsuhiko Kumazaki, have agreed on a partnership that will bring the inaugural WBSC Premier 12™ to Japan in November, it was announced today at a press conference in Japan’s capital city.
Under the partnership, NPB — the 2nd highest-attended major sports league in the world in 2014, with nearly 23 million fans filling venues for NPB’s 80th anniversary season — will host a special grand opening contest, the semi-finals, and medal round of the WBSC’s new flagship professional baseball world championship featuring the Men’s National Teams from the Top 12-ranked nations (the “Premier 12”) in the world and will award US$ millions in prize money, in addition to distributing the highest amount of world ranking points of any international baseball event.
Following in a series of blockbuster announcements, the iconic Tokyo Dome was named as the crown jewel venue that will host the 2015 WBSC Premier 12 semi-finals, bronze medal contest and the decisive gold medal finale. It was also revealed that a “secret” location will be announced in the coming weeks for the grand opening of the 2015 Premier 12 in Japan, along with special opening ceremonies.
“The iconic Tokyo Dome is a symbol of Japan and of baseball,” said President Fraccari, “and it is one the world’s leading stadiums for staging some the biggest events in sport and entertainment, which not only reinforces but further defines the Premier 12 brand ahead of its launch.”
The world governing body leader said he was honoured to strengthen ties with one of the sporting world’s most successful leagues and have the 2015 Premier 12 co-hosted across two of baseball’s most important territories.
“I thank NPB Commissioner Kumazaki for this landmark partnership, which will help drive the launch, reach and overall viewership of the inaugural WBSC Premier 12 this November into the hundreds of millions,” said President Fraccari, “and, I am particularly proud of how we were able to work together with all the various stakeholders to get this done and have Premier 12 co-hosted by two nations where our sport is the established leader among athletes, fans, sponsors, and can generate record viewer ratings and engaging in-stadium experiences.”
The opening Round-Robin (except for the special grand opening contest in Japan) and quarterfinals of the Premier 12 will be staged in Chinese Taipei.
Said NPB Commissioner Kumazaki: “This partnership sends a strong signal that we are united behind WBSC President Fraccari and share his global vision for international competitions and the Premier 12. This is a great privilege and responsibility for NPB, and we have every confidence in the success of the WBSC Premier 12. NPB is committed to — in strong partnership with WBSC — further raising the profile of WBSC-sanctioned international events, particularly those that feature National Teams and that showcase our sport and our athletes playing for their countries on the global stage like the Premier 12.”
PREMIER 12 LOGO UNVEILED
Amid a wave of major announcements already changing the course and history of the WBSC Premier 12, the first-ever presentation of the Official WBSC Premier 12 logo was unveiled by short video presentation.
The same United Kingdom-based group (The Works Ltd) responsible for the official looks of such elite properties as the 2014 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Champions League Finals has been appointed to deliver a truly global look and feel, and electrifying atmosphere for the 2015 WBSC Premier 12, including all Fanzones. The unique features of the modern logo include 12 stars that symbolise the world’s 12 best baseball nations that make up the identity and will compete in the Premier 12.
2015 PREMIER 12 DATES ANNOUNCED
WBSC officials stressed the aim of this flagship world baseball championship is to be an exciting sprint that covers only nine total days of competition, as the dates of the inaugural WBSC Premier 12 were revealed: 8-21 November.
While the schedule and groups of the 2015 WBSC Premier 12 will be released at a later date, the grand opening, under the new co-hosting agreement, will showcase the top stars on the World No. 1 Japanese National Baseball Team, “Samurai Japan”, and will likely draw a sold-out stadium and kick-off Premier 12 with a frenzy among fans and media alike.
PREMIER 12 LAUNCH HERALDS “NEW ERA”
President Fraccari said the launch of Premier 12 reflected an exciting new period for world baseball and softball, highlighted by the rapid development and expansion of baseball and softball, and leading to the emergence of a new world order in baseball and softball.
“This is giving rise to a golden era of global growth amongst fans, sponsors, broadcasters and especially among young people and women interested in playing and following baseball and softball worldwide, particularly in new markets in Europe, the Middle East, as well as in South America and Africa, and in Asia,” President Fraccari said.
President Fraccari said that inclusion of baseball and softball at the Olympic Games, which he described as “the greatest sporting stage and spectacle in the world”, was a central goal in this new era.
Finishing only behind wrestling at a 2013 International Olympic Committee vote for inclusion on the Olympic programme and following the endorsement of IOC President Thomas Bach’s Agenda 2020 reforms late last year, the WBSC will look to apply for further consideration for possible inclusion at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, he said.
“I believe that Japan’s passion for baseball and softball, if included at the Tokyo 2020 Games, will unite and engage the entire Olympic host nation of Japan behind the Games and the Olympic ideals of sport in society — as well as honour Japan’s sporting heritage,” he said.
“The inclusion of baseball and softball at Tokyo 2020 will also make the Olympic Games, the Olympic magic and values more relevant and accessible to millions of new and loyal baseball and softball fans and players in the growing list of nations where baseball and softball are now part of the sporting landscape in the 21st century and continuing to grow in popularity.”
PREMIER 12 NATIONS AND GLOBAL SPREAD
The twelve qualified nations for the inaugural Premier 12 in 2015 were announced in November 2014 and form an elite and global group (by World Rank): No. 1 Japan, No. 2 USA, No. 3 Cuba, No. 4 Chinese Taipei, No. 5 Netherlands, No. 6 Dominican Republic, No. 7 Canada, No. 8 South Korea, No. 9 Puerto Rico, No. 10 Venezuela, No. 11 Italy and No. 12. Mexico.
The 2015 Premier 12 will have a global footprint that spreads across the entire western hemisphere — North, Central- and South America, and the Caribbean — Asia, and Northern and Southern Europe. Oceania’s No. 14 Australia, which had been ranked as high as No. 10 in 2012, finished just 8.96 rankings points behind No. 12 Mexico.
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