WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup 2019, Tainan: Teams & Groups Unveiled   

TAIPEI CITY: The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) unveiled the competing National Teams, including the wild card, and the Opening Round groups of the WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup 2019, which will be hosted by the Chinese Taipei Baseball Association (CTBA) from 26 July to 4 August in Tainan City.

The WBSC awarded Fiji the lone wild card into the fifth edition of the U-12 Baseball World Cup, marking Fiji’s first-ever entry into a Baseball World Cup. Fiji will join the world’s best 11 youth baseball teams and compete For the Title of World Champion in the U-12 category (11 to 12 years old).

The U-12 Baseball World Cup will move into its new home this July, the US$ 130 million-dollar Tainan Asia Pacific Stadiums, which are set to be completed by the city in June. The state-of-the-art facility will not only be the stage but also a key element of the U-12 Baseball World Cup brand identity through the next five editions (2019, 2021, 2023, 2025 and 2027).

“The new home of the U-12 Baseball World Cup in Tainan — which will be the stage of the best 11- and 12-year-old baseball players in the world — will be among the very best and most iconic facilities ever offered to talented young athletes of this age, boosting the U-12 Baseball World Cup into a category of one of the most prestigious youth events in sports,” said WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari.

Groups

Current U-12 Asian champions Chinese Taipei will highlight Group A, along with the National Teams of top-ranked Japan, Czech Republic, South Africa, Cuba and Fiji.

Three-time defending U-12 world champions USA will lead Group B, along with Mexico (2017 bronze medallists), Korea, Australia, Venezuela and Italy.

The top three teams from each group will advance to go head to head in the Super Round from 1-3 August. Super Round teams will carry over their opening-round records against each other, with wins and/or losses against teams eliminated in the first round removed. The first- and second-place teams in the Super Round standings will compete in the Final on Sunday, 4 August, while the third- and fourth-place teams will play for the bronze medal.

Brief About World Baseball Softball Confederation 

The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) is the world governing body for baseball and softball. Headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, WBSC has 208 National Federation and Associate Members in 135 countries and territories across Asia, Africa, Americas, Europe and Oceania, which represent a united baseball/softball sports movement that encompasses over 65 million athletes and attracts approximately 150 million fans to stadiums worldwide annually.

The WBSC governs all international competitions involving official National Teams. The WBSC oversees the Premier12, World Baseball Classic, Baseball World Cups, Softball World Cups and Softball World Championships, as well as baseball and softball events at the Olympic Games.