The city of Beek, not far from Maastricht in southeastern Netherlands, will host in August (20-21) the 10th edition of the Mole's Cup, an international blind baseball tournament promoted by the Italian Association Blind Baseball (AIBxC) and sanctioned by the WBSC.
The ninth Mole's (2019) Cup saw a record six participating teams. The tournament was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
AIBxC started a blind baseball programme in Beek back in October 2021. Their instructors went back to the Netherlands on Saturday, 7 May, to conduct a new clinic.
Sixteen visually impaired boys and girls participated in the clinic. Twelve of them showed interest in being part of the first blind baseball Dutch team under the guidance of Chantal Bos.
On the same day, the WBSC Paralympic Commission supported Italian clubs Leonessa Brescia and Bergamo Walls in the organisation of the first blind baseball Città di Bergamo tournament. The tournament welcomed UK Blind Baseball, a team from Manchester, England. Former softball player Holly Ireland led the UK delegation. Alex Pitts from British Blind Sport attended as a guest.
Ireland is currently developing blind baseball in Cardiff, Wales.
