The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) today unveiled the world championship trophy for the U-23 Men’s Softball World Cup, the WBSC’s brand new men’s softball event. Starting on 15 April, the top 12 junior national teams in the world will battle over nine days at Nafaldo Cargnel Stadium in Parana, Argentina, to lift the new trophy.
The main element of the trophy, designed and manufactured by Italian artisans Fratelli Pazzaglia, is a golden ball at the peak with the WBSC logo engraved on it, supported by three flowing curves that represent the pitcher's arm, his body and the movement of his arm, all elements of the tournament logo. The golden curves have details in yellow and light blue, matching with the colours of the logo.
The golden base of the trophy has the name of the event engraved in black and light blue, along with the flag of the host country, the name of the city, and the inscription “World Champions” both in English and Spanish, the official languages of the WBSC.
Twelve nations will battle for the world title at the U-23 Men’s Softball World Cup:
- Group A: No. 1 Argentina (host), No. 4 Australia, No. 6 Czechia, No. 10 Mexico, No. 12 South Africa, No. 14 Singapore
- Group B: No. 2 Canada, No. 3 Japan, No. 7 New Zealand, No. 8 Venezuela, Team WBSC*, No. 21 Israel
After a five-day opening round robin, the top three teams in each group will advance to the Super Round, carrying head-to-head results from the Opening Round. The two nations with the best records after the Super Round will play in the World Championship Game, while the third and fourth place teams will play for the bronze medal.
* Since the National Olympic Committee of Guatemala has been suspended by the International Olympic Committee, the Guatemalan athletes cannot represent their country or compete under its flag and name at international sports events. In respect of the athletes’ rights to participate in the World Cup, they will compete at the WBSC U-23 Men’s Softball World Cup under the WBSC flag.
