The softball national teams of Mexico and Canada earned a place in the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, sealing the top two spots of the WBSC Softball Americas Qualification Event for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. It will be the first time Mexico will participate in an Olympic softball event, the pinnacle of the sport, while […]
New $130 Million U-12 Baseball World Cup youth stadium to be inaugurated in Tainan (TPE) on 20 July, WBSC President Fraccari to attend The newly constructed $130 million USD home of the WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup® will be inaugurated in Tainan, Taiwan, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony before government officials, dignitaries, media and sports fans. […]
World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) President Riccardo Fraccari today applauded the leaders of the Baseball Federation of Asia (BFA) and Softball Asia (SA) for having signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish the WBSC-Asia Baseball5 Commission. The mission of the new commission is to promote and develop the new five-on-five Baseball5 discipline across Asia, attracting […]
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 today 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 […]
via Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador named Global Ambassador of Baseball — finixsportsblog
World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) President Riccardo Fraccari today issued the following end-of-the-year address on behalf of the sport: Dear Colleagues and Friends, This past year showed that baseball and softball continue to gloablise, with the highest number of countries ever represented in the WBSC World Rankings. This is a strong and positive indication of […]
via World Baseball Softball President Issues End-Of-Year Address — finixsportsblog
World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) President Riccardo Fraccari today cited the quality, attendance and viewership of the 2018 European Professional Softball Series Presented by WBSC as a key indicator that baseball and softball are continuing to emerge as a global, gender-balanced sport with significant growth potential in Europe. World Baseball Softball Confederation, Riccardo Fraccari, WBSC […]
World Baseball Softball President Riccardo Fraccari to hold Media Roundtable With the upcoming return of baseball and softball at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) will unveil its new brand identity and slogan to the media and members of the Olympic Family at the Olympic Museum, Quai d’Ouchy 1, 1006 […]
via WBSC TO LAUNCH NEW BRAND IDENTITY, SLOGAN AT OLYMPIC MUSEUM — newfanzoneblog
The World Baseball Softball Confederation has launched a new Youth Commission to further position baseball and softball among the leaders in youth sport. The WBSC Executive Committee approved the establishment of the youth-centered commission at its recent meeting in Rome that was hosted at the headquarters of the Italian National Olympic Committee, where CONI President […]
via WBSC LAUNCHES NEW YOUTH BASEBALL/SOFTBALL COMMISSION AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES — newfanzoneblog
The World Baseball Softball Confederation today announced a joint collaboration with the Iran Federation of Sport Associations, Iran’s Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, the Iranian National Olympic Committee, and the Iran Baseball and Softball Association to expand and develop baseball and softball in Iran. The first phase of the cooperation will focus on support […]
via WBSC, IRAN SPORTS LEADERS UNITE TO GROW BASEBALL, SOFTBALL — newfanzoneblog
2015 WBSC Premier12™ Microsite is Online
The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) today revealed the world governing body’s new official website and domain name, http://www.wbsc.org, following months of close collaboration between the WBSC Baseball and WBSC Softball Divisions.
The domain name has been transferred from wbsc.co to wbsc.org.
The main features of the new site include a fully integrated baseball/softball “side-by-side” homepage to showcase the partnership and the universality the sport.
One of the main features of the homepage is dedicated to highlighting the more than 140 National Federations and Members who make up the baseball/softball world.
“We are very proud to announce that the new, multi-language website of the International Federation has been created and is now online,” said WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari. “This new website is a symbol of a new era and journey together that leads to a very bright future for the growth and long-term partnership of baseball and softball.”
The new website also features exclusive baseball-only and softball-only sub-sites, in order for users to navigate easily through specific content of interest.
The new online home of the international federation has the ability to create tournament microsites for the WBSC world championships and international events.
The launch of the website comes before the start of the newest flagship international baseball tournament, WBSC Premier12, which is set to open this Sunday, 8 November.
While the foundation of wbsc.org has been built, the website is still in the final phases of intense construction.
The World Baseball Softball Confederation and the Korea Baseball Organization today announced that South Korean baseball legend Chan-ho Park will serve as an official Global Ambassador of the 2015 WBSC Premier12™, which is being launched this November (8-21) in Japan and Taiwan.
The WBSC Premier12 is the top international baseball tournament on the 2015 calendar, distributing the top purse and largest sum of world ranking points.
Park was the first Major League Baseball (MLB) player in history from South Korea, making his debut as a pitcher with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1994. Prior to retiring in 2012, the international baseball pioneer had also competed in the top leagues in Japan and South Korea, Nippon Professional Baseball and KBO, respectively.
As a member of the South Korean National Baseball Team, Park helped his country capture the gold medal at the 1998 Asian Games in Bangkok, Thailand, while also earning two silver medals in 1993 at the BFA Asian Baseball Championship and FISU Summer Universiade.
“It’s an honour to have Chan-ho Park, one of South Korea’s most storied baseball players, as a WBSC Premier12 Global Ambassador,” said WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari. “He personifies ‘global baseball’ and the new WBSC Premier12 flagship platform: he has played at the top level, and has represented his country and our sport proudly on the international stage.”
Peter O’Malley, who was the president of the Dodgers when Park signed with the club, said: “Chan-ho Park is recognised as a true international baseball goodwill ambassador.”
Said Park: “I am very honoured and take very seriously this appointment as a Global Ambassador of the inaugural 2015 WBSC Premier12. The sport of baseball has shaped my life, and I embrace this responsibility to represent the sport of baseball at the world level for WBSC and Premier12. Playing for my National Team will always be one of my fondest memories of my career, and I will do everything I can to help promote the ideal, the duty and the sense of pride that comes with putting your country first.”
The success of the South Korean National Baseball Team, particularly following the gold medal win at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, has helped fuel baseball’s position as the most popular spectator sport in South Korea, with KBO setting record attendance numbers across all sports in the nation, surpassing 7.15 million in annual attendance in 2013 – more than five times the annual attendance of the next sport.
KBO stars will be united on their National Team to defend South Korea in the WBSC Premier12 global baseball battle.
Additional 2015 WBSC Premier12 Global Ambassadors — in collaboration with the participating Premier12 teams — will be announced in the lead up to the event, which gets underway with world No. 1 Japan and world No. 8 South Korea in a special opener at the 40,000-seat Sapporo Dome in Japan on Sunday, 8 November.
The 27th WBSC Softball Congress concluded Friday following three days of commission meetings at the Renaissance Hotel and Convention Center in the Oklahoma capital city. Delegates from 42 countries across five regions joined top world governing body officials, including WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari and WBSC Softball President Dale McMann, to discuss and decide numerous on- and off-field topics related to world softball governance and the sport’s global activities.
Prior to the start of the Congress, CONPASA — the regional softball confederation for the Americas — also met.
Throughout the Congress, emphasis was given to youth and modernization inspired by the IOC’s Olympic Agenda 2020.
“The WBSC, through the Softball Division, was pleased to welcome delegates from 42 national federations to gather together to discuss important challenges facing our sport today. With all regions of the world in attendance, our sport can continually evolve to put the best possible sport forward for our current and future generations bringing a value-added benefit globally.”
A long-range strategic plan was presented and overwhelmingly supported. An implementation commission was appointed and will immediately start working on its execution. The four pillars of the plan include:
Strengthening our organisation
Developing our coaches and officials
Improving our athletes
Enhancing our events
For streamlined governance and financial reasons, the WBSC Softball Board of Directors will be reduced from 22 members to 13 members following the conclusion of the 2017 Congress. Athletes and regions will continue to have equal representation.
Four world championship hosts were awarded for the next two calendar years, 2018-2019.
2018 WBSC Junior Men’s Softball World Championship: Prince Albert, SK, Canada
2018 WBSC Women’s Softball World Championship: Chiba, Japan
2019 WBSC Junior Women’s Softball World Championship: Irvine, CA, USA
2019 WBSC Men’s Softball World Championship: Prague/Havlickuv Brod, Czech Republic.
The 2017 Softball Division Congress host was awarded to Gaborone, Botswana. This will mark the third time that Africa has hosted the gathering of softball officials, following the 8th ISF Congress in South Africa in 1977 and the 1st WBSC Congress in Tunisia in 2014.
A special moment of silence was given to officials within the softball world who passed, especially softball’s 2nd Vice President Jesus Suniaga (VEN) and WBSC Vice President Reynaldo Gonzalez (MEX).
Due to the passing of Mr. Suniaga, a special election was held for the vacant position of second vice president. Tommy Velazquez of Puerto Rico won and will take place immediately. Miguel Acosta Serrano (CUB) was then elected as regional vice president for Latin America.
The Softball Hall of Fame Class of 2015 was elected covering administrators, coaches, players and umpires, which included:
Administrators: Bob Stanton (CAN);
Coaches: Indalecio Alejandrez Mesa (CUB), Eddie Kohlhase (NZL), and Mike Stapleton (AUS);
Players: Marissa Carpadios (AUS), Mike Harrow (AUS), Debbie Mygind (NZL), Dean Rice (NZL), and Lubomir Vrbensky (CZE);
Umpires: Neville Lawrance (AUS).
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