In just one month, on Friday 10 May, the WBSC will celebrate its 10th anniversary as the sole world baseball/softball governing body with the first-ever World Baseball Softball Day.
The day marks the inaugural WBSC Congress where Riccardo Fraccari was elected as the first president in Hammamet, Tunisia. This completed a successful merger between the International Baseball Federation (IBAF) and the International Softball Federation (ISF), which began with a historic announcement at the IBAF Congress in Tokyo in April 2013.
To mark this landmark occasion, the 10 May will from this year onwards be recognised as World Baseball Softball Day. The day of celebration will see the launch of a social media campaign aimed at engaging all its member National Federations and the wider baseball/softball community. The WBSC will present a US$10,000 equipment grant to the National Federation or club that showcases the most innovative activation. All National Federations are also invited to attend the WBSC gala dinner at the Olympic Museum on the evening of 10 May.
"Over the last 10 years, we have witnessed an incredible journey filled with many milestones and achievements," commented President Fraccari. “At the heart of this journey has been the spirit of teamwork. It has formed the foundation upon which we have worked to build and grow our sport across the world.”
The successful Olympic campaigns that
brought baseball/softball into the programme of the Tokyo 2020 and Los Angeles
2028 Olympic Games represent the most striking success, but it is not the only
one.
The WBSC also launched the Premier12, its flagship
event, which is set to celebrate its third edition in November. It will be held
alongside the first-ever ePremier12, the latest chapter in eBaseball which
continues to bring the sport closer to the younger generations.
The rebranding and professionalisation of the Softball World Cups, and the addition of two new categories (U-15 Women and U-23 Men), also provide more opportunities for athletes to represent their nations at the highest level.
Meanwhile, the introduction of innovative disciplines like Baseball5 and eBaseball as well as Paralympic activities such as Blind Baseball and Wheelchair Softball has engaged younger generations and broadened the reach of Baseball/Softball. The inclusion of Baseball5 in the Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026 in particular, underscores a commitment to innovation and youth development.
These are some of the many reasons to celebrate the WBSC anniversary on Friday 10 May, the first-ever World Baseball Softball Day. Get involved!
