All-Star team sprinkles stardust on inaugural WBSC Baseball5 World Cup

After an amazing week of Baseball5 action at El Zocalo in Mexico City, there was no better way to finish the WBSC Baseball5 World Cup 2022 than recognise the stars of the sport with their exceptional accomplishments throughout the tournament.

Saturday was a great celebration of this new discipline and the packed crowd came to celebrate the best in the game. And the 2,000 packed into centre court and the extras out on the street watching the big screen were not disappointed.

After Cuba beat Japan 2-0 in the final, the Awards Ceremony saw Japan’s Ayako Rokkaku and Briandy Molina from Cuba named the WBSC Baseball5 World Cup 2022 Most Valuable Players - as voted by the event’s media and technical directors - along with an All Star team consisting of

• Briandy Molina CUB #1
• Ayako Rokkaku JPN #36
• Shih Chi-Ting-HUA TPE #47
• Castro Marian MEX #92
• Albertyn Louis Michael RSA #28

The Best Coach, as selected by the coaches at the tournament, was also Rokkaku.

“What a terrific week of Baseball5 action in this spectacular setting here at El Zocalo. This first ever WBSC Baseball5 World Cup has been a great success,” WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari said in his closing address. “I am so proud to have crowned today the first ever world champions of Baseball5. Congratulations Cuba and to Japan and Chinese Taipei.

“Thank you to all the teams and the fans for making this week so special and for playing the tournament with great spirit, skill and fair play. I would like to express my deep gratitude to the Government of Mexico City, CONADE and the Mexico City Sports Institute for hosting this tournament and for having shared and believed in this project from the beginning.”

Meanwhile, Director General of the National Commission of Physical Culture and Sport (CONADE) Ana Guevara also praised the athletes and the fans for a successful event. “This is what sport is about, the emotion of sport can not be beaten and what I have watched this week is sporting drama and emotion at its best,” she said. “I can see Baseball5 spreading quickly across the globe and continuing being a great success after this inaugural Baseball5 World Cup.”

Not only were the historic events team-related but for the first time in a WBSC event there were two home plate umpires from Africa in the finals – Jason Bell from South Africa in the bronze medal game and Kenya’s Brian Manyeki in the World Championship game - while three women also officiated in the final.