WBSC Legacy Club launched on International Day of Sport for Development and Peace
The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) has announced the creation of the WBSC Legacy Club to mark the 10th International Day of Sport for Development and Peace.
A key goal of the WBSC 2022-2028 Strategic Plan is to grow baseball and softball and to make them relevant in people’s lives, while the WBSC is committed to using its sports as tools to bridge cultural gaps, improve health and education standards and aid social development around the world through innovative programmes and initiatives.
Built on the core values that transcend baseball and softball, such as team spirit, integrity, respect, diversity and fun, the vision of the WBSC Legacy Club is to achieve this with the help of fans and donors worldwide.
The WBSC is calling on its community to support this exciting initiative, and many others to come, by donating to the WBSC Legacy Club.
The funds raised will be used solely for the creation of future initiatives to help make baseball and softball more accessible all over the world, while promoting inclusion and integration through sport.
WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari said: “I’m very proud to be able to mark the 10th anniversary of International Day of Sport for Development and Peace with the launch of the WBSC Legacy Club.
“We already have important initiatives in place that use baseball and softball to drive inclusion and collaboration in communities. The Legacy Club will enable us to significantly increase the number of programmes we are able to offer thanks to the anticipated generosity of baseball and softball’s incredible global community.
“Sport occupies a unique place in society and has the power to unite people from all cultural backgrounds. Today is an important day to celebrate all that has been achieved so far and look ahead to the work that still needs to be done to drive positive social change through our sport.”
Already in 2023, the WBSC has launched the first long-term project for people suffering from displacement in the Jordanian Refugee Camp of Azraq, using Baseball5 as a tool to promote inclusion and integration of refugees and displaced people.
One of the main goals of the project is to form a Refugee Team to compete at the Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026, a project which has already received support from the International Olympic Committee in the way of a $50,000 donation to help fund the programme. Internationally licensed coach Mr. Chedli Mokrani has already held a clinic, while more than 50 young refugees training on a dedicated Baseball5 field every week.
Prior to that, various initiatives have aimed to expand the legacy of baseball and softball, including the IOC regeneration project for Fukushima, the introduction of Baseball for the Blind and Wheelchair Softball and through short-term projects involving Baseball5 in Burundi, Za’atari and Palestine.
