The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) today announced that the world governing body has awarded a sanction to World Baseball Classic, Inc. (WBCI) for the 2017 World Baseball Classic and the tournament's qualifying rounds to be held in 2016.
Under the renewed partnership, WBCI, an entity jointly governed by Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association, will stage the fourth edition of the World Baseball Classic, which will feature the top nations in the WBSC Baseball World Rankings from all continents -- comprising a global representation of 28 National Teams.
The 2017 World Baseball Classic will also be recognised by WBSC as its Official men's Baseball World Championship, with the winning nation crowned the world champion.
"This is a very exciting time for baseball's continued globalisation and positioning," said WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari. "WBSC is absolutely delighted that Major League Baseball -- one of the most iconic brands in all of sport -- shares this vision and is committed to showcasing our sport to global audiences and to developing the National Team brands through the World Baseball Classic."
"Since its inception in 2006 the World Baseball Classic has been the premier international baseball tournament which features the best players from around the world facing off against each other for their countries," said Major League Baseball COO Tony Petitti. "Major League Baseball thanks the WBSC for their continued support and recognition of the World Baseball Classic in sanctioning this event."
Timothy Slavin, Chief of Business Affairs for the Major League Baseball Players Association said: "We appreciate the WBSC's ongoing support of the World Baseball Classic and we commend the WBSC and its National Teams for their dedication to helping increase the global popularity of our great game."
President Fraccari added: "Through this successful partnership, the World Baseball Classic has helped to elevate the popularity, value and attractiveness of National Team properties and gives the fans another great opportunity to see some of their favourite players playing for their countries."
For more information, contact:
Oscar Lopez, WBSC, +41213188244, @wbsc
John Blundell, Major League Baseball, +12129317878, @mlb_pr
Greg Bouris, Major League Baseball Players Association, +12128260808, @mlb_players
20 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is www.aroundtherings.com, for subscribers only
Recent Articles
Sinner-Alcaraz, the duel that came to succeed the three phenomenons
Beyond the final result, Roland Garros left the feeling that the Italian and the Spaniard will shape the great duel that came to help us through the duel for the end of the Federer-Nadal-Djokovic era.
Table tennis: Brazil’s Bruna Costa Alexandre will be Olympic and Paralympic in Paris 2024
She is the third in her sport and the seventh athlete to achieve it in the same edition; in Santiago 2023 she was the first athlete with disabilities to compete at the Pan American level and won a medal.
Rugby 7s: the best player of 2023 would only play the medal match in Paris
Argentinian Rodrigo Isgró received a five-game suspension for an indiscipline in the circuit’s decisive clash that would exclude him until the final or the bronze match; the Federation will seek to make the appeal successful.
Rhonex Kipruto, owner of the world record for the 10000 meters on the road, was suspended for six years
The Kenyan received the maximum sanction for irregularities in his biological passport and the Court considered that he was part of a system of “deliberate and sophisticated doping” to improve his performance. He will lose his record and the bronze medal at the Doha World Cup.
Katie Ledecky spoke about doping Chinese swimmers: “It’s difficult to go to Paris knowing that we’re going to compete with some of these athletes”
The American, a seven-time Olympic champion, referred to the case of the 23 positive controls before the Tokyo Games that were announced a few weeks ago and shook the swimming world. “I think our faith in some of the systems is at an all-time low,” he said.
