The Bulgaria Baseball Federation hosted in Blagoevgrad one of the two qualification tournaments to the Baseball European Championship
The hosts faced Greece, Israel, Serbia, Ireland and Russia. Israel went on to win group play and then beat Lithuania, the winner of the other qualifier in Trnava, Slovakia, in a three-game series. Israel will now compete in the European Championship in Bonn and Solingen, Germany, and for a spot in the WBSC Qualifying Event for the games of the XXXII Olympiad Tokyo 2020.
Bulgaria lost the five games of the tournament in Blagoevgrad, but the organization of the tournament was a success.
“The tournament had very good attendance,” commented Yasen Nedelchev, the President of the Bulgarian Baseball Federation.
The Federation organized the tournament in Blagoevgrad with the support of the local club Buffaloes. The venue was upgraded to the standard of international baseball thanks to a major remodelling of the playing field and of the scoreboard. WBSC gave financial support through a grant that covered the expenses.
