#OneYearAgo: Softball Australia earns Tokyo 2020 Olympic berth

#OneYearAgo: Softball Australia earns Tokyo 2020 Olympic berth
28/09/2020
Australia went undefeated to win the WBSC Softball Asia Oceania Olympic Qualifier. On the last day of competition they beat China to advance to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

A year ago today Australia became the sixth and last qualified nation for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games softball competition, with a 9-3 win over China. Australia participated in the previous four editions of the Olympics, and has won a medal at each Games in which softball was held.

Eight teams participated in the last softball Olympic Qualifier. The top six squads from Asia (not counting Japan, who had qualified as host team of the Games) and the top two from Oceania gathered in Shanghai to battle for the last available softball spot in the Olympic Games.

China, Korea, the Philippines and New Zealand competed in Group A, while Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, Indonesia and Australia played in Group B.

After the opening round, China and the Philippines advanced to the Super Round as the top two teams qualified, while Australia and Chinese Taipei made the Super Round from Group B.

In the Super Round, Australia topped the Philippines, 7-0, and went on to beat China, 9-3 in the Final.

With this victory Australia joined host Japan, USA, Italy, Mexico and Canada as the qualified nations for the six-team Tokyo 2020 Olympic Softball event. It will be the fifth time that Australia will participate in an Olympic softball event, having won a medal in all previous four Olympic events.

Australia will take on the hosts and defending Olympic champions Japan to open the softball event on 21 July, at 9 am (Japan Standard Time - JST). This match will serve as the very first official Olympic competition of the Tokyo 2020 Games.