Softball Asia announced that a record-setting nine teams are confirmed for the Asian Games Hangzhou 2022 softball competition, to be held in China from 10-25 September, which is yet another evidence of softball's development in the continent and the world.
The confirmed teams are world No. 2 Japan, No. 6 Chinese Taipei, No. 9 China, No. 13 Philippines, No. 23 Korea, No. 38 Hong Kong China, No. 41 Thailand, No. 47 Singapore and No. 49 India.
This event will mark the debuts in the Asian Games women’s softball competition for both India and Singapore.
An additional team, pending confirmation from the respective National Olympic Committee, could make it a 10-team competition at the continental multi-sport event. The entry deadline for the NOCs is 31 May 2022.
This unprecedented number of teams will set a record at the Asian Games. Previously, the highest number of participating teams was in Bangkok 1998 and Jakarta Palembeng 2017, with a total of seven squads.
Baseball and softball competitions will be held at China's new baseball-softball megacentre in Shaoxing city, located southeast of Hangzhou.
Women's softball made its Asian Games debut in 1990 in Chinese capital Beijing, and has been on the programme ever since. Japan has won the last five Asian Games gold medals, while China clinched the first three.
