WBSC organized four seminars in Bangkok, Thailand in collaboration with Softball Asia: for Technical Commissioners, Scorers, Umpire in Chief and Umpire certification. The Sports Authority of Thailand supported Softball Asia on the ground.
The event can be considered a milestone in softball development in the Region.
A total of twelve attended the Technical Commissioner seminar. Four were from Thailand, 5 from Malaysia and one each from Hong Kong, India and Korea.
The instructor was Chet Gray (Australia), the Secretary General of WBSC Oceania.
This seminar was only the second-ever conducted by WBSC for softball Technical Commissioners.
Chat Gray and the participants to the Technical Commissioner seminar
The Scorers Seminar attracted 35 participants: one each from Japan, Pakistan and Singapore, two from Hong Kong, six from Chinese Taipei and 24 from Thailand.
The seminar was conducted by Jennie Moloney (Australia).
Jennie Moloney assists participants to the Scorer seminar
Eleven certified umpires attended the Seminar for Umpire in Chief, the head and evaluator of umpires during WBSC competition. The participants were from Hong Kong, Malaysia (one), Chinese Taipei (two), Singapore (three) and Thailand (four).
The instructor was Bob Stanton, the WBSC Softball Umpire Director.
The participants to the Umpire Certification Seminar already passed a written test and will now be evaluated on the field during the Thailand Open Men’s and Women’s Softball Championship, which will end on 28 July.
A total of 20 new umpires participated: one each from Brunei and Malaysia; two each from Chinese Taipei, Pakistan and Singapore; 12 from Thailand.
The instructors were Rosli Ismail, the Umpire in Chief in Malaysia, and Paulo Tabirara, the Chief Umpire in the Philippines.
Rosli Ismail and Paulo Tabirara during the Umpire seminar
“The four seminars were an excellent opportunity for development,” commented Beng Choo Low, WBSC Secretary General and Softball Asia President “those who attended will surely return richer in knowledge and experience.”
Beng Choo Low added: “Although the number of participants was encouraging, I had hoped more Federations were going to take the opportunity to attend these courses.”