WBSC Legacy Club launched on International Day of Sport for Development and Peace
The WBSC marks International Day of Sport for Development and Peace by announcing new Legacy Club, aimed at raising funds to offer more programmes focused on promoting inclusion and integration through sport around the world.
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.