Asian Games Hangzhou 2022 opens Saturday; baseball, softball start 26 September
Nine teams will compete in the baseball competition, which finishes on 7 October; while eight squads will battle for gold in the softball competition until 2 October. The 19th Asian Games play by play and stats will be managed under the my.WBSC scoring system.
One of the largest multi-sports events in the world, the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022 is ready to open on Saturday, with the Opening Ceremony scheduled at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre. The Asiad will run from 23 September to 8 October with 37 sports, 481 events and 45 National Olympic Committees in attendance. Both baseball and softball competitions will open their calendars on 26 September.
Originally scheduled to take place in September 2022, the Games were postponed to 2023 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, Hangzou and China are ready to receive the top athletes from Asia, including baseball and softball stars, to compete for the gold medal.
The baseball and softball competitions will be held at the Shaoxing Baseball & Softball Sports Centre, the largest baseball and softball venue in China. The new state-of-the-art complex is located in Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province, China, 40 kilometres away from the main venue in Hangzhou. As part of the legacy of the Asiad, next year the Shaoxing Baseball & Softball Sports Centre will host the WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup.
The 19th Asian Games play by play and stats will be managed under the my.WBSC scoring system, a modern and user-friendly tool developed by WBSC for its own tournaments and offered as a service to National Federations, professional leagues and other stakeholders.
The 2022 Asiad will be the second international multi-sports event run under my.WBSC, after the successful implementation during the Central American and Caribbean Games San Salvador 2022. The WBSC scoring system will also be in place for the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games, therefore covering the two biggest continental multi-sports events in the world.
Nine teams to compete in baseball
The baseball competition will open on 26 September with a three-team group competition between No. 70 Thailand, No. 74 Singapore and No. 75 Laos. The top two teams in this stage will advance to the second phase, composed of two groups of four teams.
In Group A, No. 1 Japan will face No. 23 China; No. 36 Philippines and the second qualified team from the first stage. Group B will be contested by No. 4 Korea; No. 5 Chinese Taipei; No. 45 Hong Kong, China; and the first qualified team from the first stage.
The top two teams after the second stage will advance to the Super Round, carrying out their head to head scores. First and second place finishers in the Super Round standings will play for the gold medal, while third and fourth will battle for bronze. Both medal games are scheduled for 7 October
Men's baseball was introduced to the Asian Games in Beijing, China in 1990 and became a medal sport in 1994 in Hiroshima, Japan.
Eight teams in softball
The softball competition will also open on 26 September with a group stage. The eight participating teams have been split into two groups of four for the first round.
In Group A, the Olympic champions and world No. 2 Japan will play No. 5 Chinese Taipei; No. 38 Singapore and No. 40 Hong Kong, China. Host and No. 11 China lead Group B, along with No. 21 Philippines, No. 34 Korea and No. 50 Thailand.
After a three-day round robin, the top two teams in each group will move to the Super Round, carrying out their head to head scores. After the Super Round, first and second place will play for the Asiad gold medal, with third and fourth playing for bronze.
Women's softball has been a medal sport in the Asian Games since Beijing 1990.
