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Welcome to this daily summary of the I WBSC U-23 Men's Softball World Cup, giving you the latest news and key updates on the inaugural edition of this men's softball event.
PARANA, Argentina -- The WBSC U-23 Men's Softball World Cup is set to open on Saturday, with the first six games of the maiden competition. The Nafaldo Cargnel Stadium and El Plumazo in Parana, Argentina, will be the stage for the new global competition.
"This new age bracket will provide our athletes more opportunities to compete at the highest international level," said WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari, during the press conference held at Sala Mayo in Parana, Argentina. "Furthermore, it is a demonstration of WBSC's commitment to men's softball. We are convinced that this new competition will give even more impetus to this discipline."
Team managers kept expectations high as they shared their thoughts at the pre-tournament press conference held on Friday.
The 12 teams have been split into two groups to open the competition, with the top three teams advancing to the Super Round.
Group A promises to be an intriguing battle, with all six teams in the top 14 of the WBSC Men’s Softball World Rankings, including four in the top 10. Argentina, Australia, Czechia, Mexico, South Africa and Singapore must play perfect ball to survive this tight group.
Four men’s softball super powers will collide in Group B in a tough group. Canada, Japan, New Zealand and Venezuela will be challenged by Latin America's Team WBSC and Europe's Israel for the three spots in the Super Round.
The full rosters of the 12 participating teams were made official after today's Technical Meeting. You can find here the names of the 192 players who will represent their national teams during the next nine days.
Softball fans around the world will be able to tune in to GameTime to watch the tournament live. A tournament pass for $9.99 (US dollars) will give subscribers access to all 50 games of the tournament, while six-game daily passes will be available for $5.99 each day.
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