The World Baseball Softball Confederation) (WBSC) and the Japan Softball Association (JSA) today announced a partnership to organise a softball test event for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
As part of the partnership, WBSC and JSA will oversee up to four Japan Softball League (JSL) regular-season games at Fukushima’s Azuma Baseball Stadium from 5-6 October. WBSC-certified as well as national officials will be observing and participating in the operation of the softball test event, to ensure the successful delivery of softball’s historic return at the Tokyo 2020 Games.
Renovations to Azuma Stadium are scheduled to be completed ahead of the test event, including the installation of a brand-new turf, which will be the same used during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
A total of six Olympic Softball games and one Olympic Baseball game will be played at Azuma Baseball Stadium. Olympic Softball Game 1 on Wednesday, 22 July 2020 is the first official Olympic competition of the Tokyo 2020 Games.
“WBSC is excited to partner with our colleagues at the Japan Softball Association and the Japan Softball League to stage this important test event,” said WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari. “With the existing venues and collective know-how — as the top sport in Japan — we are confident that we will hit a ‘home run’ carrying out this test event, and we will continue working hard alongside Tokyo 2020 organisers, while listening and learning from the IOC, to deliver the biggest and best-ever Olympic Baseball and Softball tournaments in history.”
Baseball and softball at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games will take place at Azuma Baseball Stadium and Yokohama Stadium.
Earlier this week, WBSC announced the hosts and dates of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Baseball and Softball Qualifiers, which will be held across Canada, China, Chinese Taipei, Italy, Japan, Netherlands and USA.
The complete list of Tokyo 2020 test events can be found at https://tokyo2020.org/en/games/sport/testevents/.
Photo courtesy of Tokyo 2020
