WBSC

Post date: Nov 18, 2014 12:6:50 AM

Nations, Groups, Schedule unveiled for launch of 21U Baseball World Cup -- highlighting global youth appeal, interest in baseball among young people in countdown to Olympic decision   

- Excitement growing for start of 21U world championship that will help finalise elite group of 2015 'Premier 12' nations. 

LAUSANNE, Switzerland -- The world governing body for baseball, the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), unveiled a global collection of National Teams for the inaugural Under-21 Baseball World Cup that will be staged next month in Taichung, Taiwan from 7-16 November.

Added anticipation and excitement has been building for the start of the 21U Baseball World Cup because it is the final global competition before announcing the twelve qualified teams for "The Premier 12", the new flagship, pro-player international baseball tournament that will be launched in 2015 and feature the world's Top 12 ranked nations and award US$ multi-millions in prize money.

LIVE BASEBALL BROADCAST

In a further boost to the launch, visibility, and success of the newest world championship baseball platform to be rolled out under the WBSC, agreements have been reached to secure live television production for nearly half the games, with additional distribution deals to expand coverage, including global distribution via online and mobile platforms expected to be announced imminently.

"The broadcast and TV coverage of international baseball and softball competitions and events both drives and builds on the growing appeal of baseball and softball to young people in schools and in communities, among TV audiences, and in the growing list of sponsors," said WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari.

The Baseball/Softball family under the WBSC, along with other sports federations, are awaiting the outcome of the International Olympic Committee's review -- to be announced in December at a special Session in Monte Carlo -- on the process for adding/dropping sports to the Olympic programme, which may allow a new opportunity to have the bat-and-ball's Olympic status restored in time for inclusion at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, where baseball and softball are leading national sports and are supported passionately at all levels of Japanese society.  

NATIONS

The eleven National Teams that will unite in Taichung to battle for the first-ever gold medal in the new 21U category are globally spread across:  

-  Americas (North, Central & South): No. 10 Venezuela, No. 13 Mexico and No. 28 Nicaragua

-  Asia: No. 2 Japan, No. 4 Chinese Taipei and No. 8 South Korea

-  Europe: No. 5 Netherlands, No. 11 Italy and No. 26 Czech Republic

-  Oceania: No. 15 Australia and No. 25 New Zealand

The first-ever 21U Baseball World cup will feature five of the Top 10 ranked baseball nations in the world and eight nations within the Top 15. All nations heading to Taichung are ranked among baseball's Top 30, of WBSC's 141 Member Nations.  

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

Forty-three games have been announced for the 2015 21U Baseball World Cup, which will be centred around the modern venues of Douliu Baseball and Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium, the latter of which will host the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. (See Competition Schedule.)

GROUPS / TOURNAMENT FORMAT

The Baseball World Cup Tournament Commission has divided 21U Baseball World Cup teams into two Round Robin groups to open the world championship: