World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) President Riccardo Fraccari has a vision for baseball and softball to grow into a leading, global Olympic sport. On Friday, 31 July, the WBSC Presidential Council looked at the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in the new COVID-19 world, and how to realise WBSC's growth targets in this type of climate.
While the international sports calendar continues to be uncertain, the Council discussed strategies for baseball and softball during/following this unprecedented period, in order to reshape and modernize the way international events are rolled out, including how the World Cups are organised, placing a particular emphasis on the applications of digital media, technology and communications.
To continue baseball and softball’s global expansion, the Council underlined the need to stay connected and engaged with the international baseball-softball family and young fans/players, making e-learning courses, webinars and other development tools available online to the more than 200 WBSC Members in nearly 140 countries and territories -- and to make these online tools available to prospective new countries that are growing the game and looking to potentially establish a new National Federation.
Baseball and softball currently have over 65 million players and approximately 150 million fans across 140+ countries and territories around the world.
