Softball
By Kemi Ajayi
Lagos, May 9, 2018 (NAN) The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) on Wednesday announced the groups and schedule for the 2018 Women’s Softball World Championship in August.
The WBSC said on its website that the championship would hold from Aug. 2 to Aug. 12 in the Japanese city of Chiba.
It said that 16 countries, representing the five Olympic continents, had been drawn into two groups.
Group A comprises of the U.S., Chinese Taipei, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Netherlands, Philippines and South Africa, while Group B is made-up of Japan, Canada, Australia, Italy, China, Venezuela, Britain and Botswana.
WBSC said the softball global flagship competition would feature 73 games across 10 days.
It added that the top country would claim the first of five available softball spots for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.
According to WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari, the championship will be a starting point for participating countries leading up to the 2020 Games.
“The Women’s Softball World Championship in Chiba will be an exciting and challenging 73-game top-tier global competition.
“The stakes will be extremely high with the tournament awarding one nation a ticket to be a part of the historic Olympic return at the Tokyo 2020 Games.
“This is where softball’s Road to Tokyo 2020 begins,’’ the website quoted Fraccari as saying. (NAN)
KOA/AAB/PDE
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(Edited By Adeboye Ajayi/Peter Ejiofor)