On 1 September Baseball Australia and the Cuban Baseball Federation announced the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding which includes extensive collaboration between the two WBSC members.
The memorandum signing followed the Council on Australia Latin America Relations (COALAR) awarding Baseball Australia a significant grant towards establishing a strong relationship between the two nations.
The federations will work together to introduce regular series for national teams and grow Baseball5 in Australia. The agreement opens the door for Cuban players and coaches to take part in the Australia Baseball League and the proposed Australian women’s league.
Baseball Australia embraced Baseball5 after the discipline was introduced in the country during the last SportAccord convention in the Gold Coast Baseball5. Given its accessibility, Baseball5 is regarded as instrumental for introducing baseball to the general public and the new generations.
Cuba who is a long-standing partner of the WBSC in Baseball5 development will offer Baseball Australia the necessary knowledge and through seminars and other training opportunities in order to accelerate the development in Australia.
World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) President Riccardo Fraccari welcomed the agreement between Australia and Cuba.
“WBSC welcomes this wide-ranging strategic alliance, which will help to promote baseball, the respective leagues as well as the National Team brand from youth to the highest levels in Australia, Cuba, further reinforcing the spread and global growth of baseball,” he said.
On the programme, Baseball Australia chief executive Cam Vale said the agreement presented significant opportunities for both countries.
“We’re now a step closer to regular international baseball against Cuba,” “there is also a commitment to growing Baseball5 in Australia, including the development of players and coaches, which is crucial as we look to roll out the emerging discipline.”
