World No. 3 Puerto Rico, No. 5 Canada, No. 7 Mexico, No. 16 Peru and No. 39 Colombia earned their tickets to the WBSC U-18 Women's Softball World Cup, which will open this summer with three Group Stage tournaments in Brazil, China and USA.. The five teams clinched their tickets at the Pan American Championship and complete the line up of 18 participants in the biggest international youth softball competition.
Puerto Rico claimed its first-ever Pan American Championship with a dramatic 2-1 extra-inning win over Canada in the final of the 11-team competition. Karely Velázquez scored the game-winning run from third on a soft grounder from Mileyshka Soto in the bottom of the eighth to finish the game. For the bronze medal, Mexico defeated Brazil 3-0 and clinched their second consecutive medal in this tournament.
For Puerto Rico, it was their first continental title in any category, and the third medal in five editions of the U-18 Pan American Championship. They won silver as host team in Maunabo 2006 and bronze in Bogota four years later. World No. 1 USA, which didn't participate in this tournament because they were qualified for the World Cup as host of Group C, had won the first four editions of this event.
With the Pan American Championship the qualification process for the WBSC U-18 Women's Softball World Cup came to an end, with 18 teams ready to battle for the title of world champion:
Americas (5): World No. 3 Puerto Rico, No. 5 Canada, No. 7 Mexico, No. 16 Peru and No. 39 Colombia
Asia (4): No. 2 Japan, No. 4 Chinese Taipei, No. 14 Philippines and No. 15 China
Europe (5): No. 6 Italy, No. 8 Netherlands, No. 9 Czechia, No. 13 Great Britain and No. 21 Ireland
Oceania (2): No. 32 New Zealand and No. 10 Australia
Wild Card/Host (2): No. 1 USA, No. 23 Brazil
Taking place from 23 to 27 July in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Group A will see No. 4 Chinese Taipei, No. 9 Czechia, No. 13 Great Britain, hosts and No. 23 Brazil, No. 32 New Zealand, and one team from the Americas. The tournament will be staged at the Estadio Municipal de Beisebol Mie Nishi in central Sao Paulo.
Hosts and No. 15 China take their place in Group B, together with No. 2 Japan, No. 6 Italy, No. 8 Netherlands and two teams from the Americas. Pingtan Softball Stadium in Pingtan, China will host the action from 14 to 18 August.
Group C will run from 28 August to 2 September with the top ranked team in the world, USA, hosting No. 10 Australia, No. 14 Philippines, No. 21 Ireland, and two teams from the Americas. This group will take place at The Village Dallas in Dallas, Texas.
The final groups and the game schedule of the Group Stage will be announced at a later stage.
U-18 Pan Am Championship Final Standings
- Puerto Rico
- Canada
- Mexico
- Brazil
- Peru
- Colombia
- Dominican Republic
- Venezuela
- Argentina
- Cuba
- US Virgin Islands
Photo: WBSC Americas Softball
