With less
than 150 days until the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games begin, athletes all over the
world are preparing to represent their country and perform at the highest
level.
There is some crucial Olympic preparation going on at this week’s U-18 Men’s World Cup in Palmerston North too, as scorers, umpires and technical commissioners selected for the 2020 Games are put through their paces and continue their journey together.
Roberto Perez-Leon will be involved with softball's technical commission in Tokyo, and has coached, played and administrated all over the world.
“After 50
years in the game, it’s a dream come true to be selected to go to an Olympic
Games,” Perez-Leon said.
“We have so
much support from the IOC and WBSC, as well as a fantastic team.
“This tournament in Palmerston North has given us a great opportunity to work together in the lead-up to Tokyo. We’ve been working very hard here and will continue that in Tokyo.”
Canadian Bob
Stanton will lead the umpiring crew for softball in Tokyo, and knows the
importance of this World Cup for his team’s preparation.
“This U-18
World Cup is important, as it’s the first time some of these umpires have
worked together,” Stanton said.
“We’ve had a fantastic training program at this event, have begun a solid team building process and it’s been great to build rapport with one another.”
Maurizio Ronchi
is the Scoring Director at the U-18 Men’s Softball World Cup, and will form a
key role of the scoring team in Tokyo.
“It really
is a dream to be going to Tokyo,” Ronchi said.
“I was in Tokyo
two years ago for the Women’s Softball World Cup, but this time will be
completely different.
“The U-18
World Cup has been fantastic. The local scorekeepers are doing a great job, and
we have a wonderful international team too.”
Softball
will open the Olympic Games in Fukushima, and will be held from 22-28 July.