Chengdu in China is hosting at the “Jinniu” Field the 12U Asian Championship with 8 teams (divided into 2 groups) participating. Group A: China, Japan, Hong Kong, Indonesia; Group B: Chinese Taipei, Korea, Philippines and Pakistan.
The event is organized by the Baseball Federation of Asia (BFA), the Chinese Baseball Association (CBA) and the Chengdu Jinniu District People’s Government.
BFA President Seung-Kyoo Kang (Korea), CBA Secretary General Shen Wei and regional Government officials attended the opening ceremony on August 16 (in the cover photo)
Jinniu District owns most of quality sports venues in Southwestern China and Taurus Sports Centre covers an area of 25 acres including an international standard baseball stadium.
Chinese Taipei enters the tournament as the favourites. “Japan, Korea, and Chinese teams are at nearly the same level as us” said manager Lai Min Nan to our correspondant Jason Pan “On a good day they can beat us”.
Chinese Taipei will be represented by the Taipei City team (composed mostly of players from the Tongyuan Grade School in the old downtown Taipei district), that won the Herbalife U12 Baseball Tournament in June and the right to represent Chinese Taipei at the BFA 12U Asian Championship.
The team is supported by corporate sponsor Herbalife, Inc. The company announced their support with funding and nutritional food supplements, worth a total of NT$ 600,000 (about USD 30,000).
As a part of endeavors to reinstate baseball in the 2020 Olympic Games, IBAF and its member Federations continue to promote the game to young people throughout the world. IBAF 12U World Cup is scheduled in Taipei, during the summer of 2013.
