Press Release World Baseball Softball Confederation

Assembly follows WBSC’s vision to support athletes and long-term development of the sports and Olympic bid

LAUSANNE (SWITZERLAND) – The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) has officially announced the dates of the first-ever General Assembly where all national federations (NFs) of the baseball and softball international family will unite for the first time under the banner of the WBSC.

The historic gathering of the two international sporting federations as a united body will take place over a three-day session from 7-9 March of 2014.

Congresses of the International Baseball Federation and International Softball Federation voted in late 2012 to establish the WBSC.

Announcing the inaugural General Assembly, WBSC co-Presidents Riccardo Fraccari and Don Porter acknowledged the leadership of the IOC Sports Department, in supporting and guiding the landmark merger of the international baseball and softball federations — the first merger of its kind — in the best interests of the athletes and the sports.

“We realise there were no prior cases to serve as a reference for this historic unification process, and that’s why we are indebted to the IOC members, the IOC Sport Department and greater Olympic Family for their generosity with their time, knowledge and guidance in helping us to build the general framework for moving forward as one entity governing both baseball and softball,” Co-Presidents Fraccari and Porter said.

“The coming together of our two sporting federations has already created important synergies that will provide a better distribution and use of our resources, planning and sporting infrastructure, which will help to sustain the athletes and long-term development of the sports,” said the co-Presidents.

Baseball and softball’s historic union comes at a time when the sister bat-and-ball sports are entering a new era of globalisation, where resources are currently being invested in international development of the sports. New venues are being constructed or renovated in Africa, across the Americas, in Asia, Europe and Oceania, also benefiting local economies.

“We are honoured and extremely encouraged by the invaluable support of our national federations who have given us their trust, confidence and support in proceeding in this new direction to create a better future for the athletes and sport,” said Fraccari and Porter.

The WBSC merger has also provided a major boost to the ongoing campaign by the WBSC to participate at the 2020 Olympic Games.

Baseball/Softball will set a historic precedent if included at the 2020 Olympic Games, establishing women’s softball and men’s baseball as equal partners in an Olympic sport for the first time.

Baseball and softball’s inclusion on the programme together would bring also significant number of new territories, fans, young people, spectators, and broadcast and sponsorship appeal to the Olympic Games, Olympic movement and its partners.

Including a sport on the Olympic programme that women across the world enjoy to play, like softball, will give women more opportunities to be empowered through sport, and help to create an Olympic Games that are more relevant to women.

“The growing global popularity, interest and commercial strength of baseball and softball would enable the sports to make a meaningful contribution to the Olympic Movement and provide a memorable experience and spectacle for fans, broadcasters and viewing audiences, as well as host cities and countries, and strong ticket sales and revenues for Olympic organising committees, strong sponsor interest, to connect more young people to the Olympic Games, and provide new pathways for women and girls into sport, especially through softball in Muslim countries,” the co-Presidents said.

As major efforts are being made for Olympic inclusion, the WBSC remains hopeful the IOC will find a place for baseball and softball in the 2020 Olympic Games. The new federation remains committed to realising progress in “day-to-day” activities and laying down a solid foundation on which baseball and softball’s long-term development and future can be secured and significantly enhanced through this partnership.

In addition to organizing four world championships this year, naming its world headquarters in Lausanne and establishing various commissions, including an Athletes Commission, the WBSC has recently launched its official federation website, www.wbsc.co, and implemented stringent sports betting and match-fixing regulations into the WBSC Code of Ethics and Constitution.

An in-depth study is being commissioned as part of the strategic-plan to streamline the baseball and softball world championships to optimize budget–and development-planning for the WBSC member federations, while also maximizing the market penetration and attractiveness of the events.

The WBSC leadership points to last month’s inauguration of the UK’s first baseball-softball dedicated venue to highlight efficiencies and cooperation already being realized.

“The project in the UK highlights the significant benefits and realities of baseball and softball’s partnership and long-term sustainability,” said the Co-Presidents, “And the birth of this new facility is a good indicator of the growing popularity of our game in all key regions such as Europe, including an innovative compact baseball-softball venue being constructed just outside Amsterdam.”

Approximately 40% of WBSC’s NFs are jointly operated baseball-softball federations.