Seventh WBSC Europe Congress celebrates continued growth. WBSC

The WBSC Europe celebrated the international growth and innovation of baseball / softball at the Benalmádena Congress on the coast of Andalusia, Spain, last weekend.

The city of Benalmádena, on the coast of Malaga (Spain), hosted an important congress last weekend. WBSC Europe celebrated the continued international growth and innovation of baseball/softball. 

WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari addressed the Congress and said: "On 10 May, we will celebrate the tenth anniversary of the WBSC with World Baseball and Softball Day. We also have exciting projects to celebrate, such as the popularity of Baseball5, the new Champions League of Baseball, the WBSC Legacy Club, and the WBSC's prominent role in eSport within the Olympic Movement, as well as our path to the Olympic Games with Brisbane 2032 as the next goal".

The congress was a success with 48 out of 52 possible federations attending. RFEBS
The congress was a success with 48 out of 52 possible federations attending. RFEBS

The WBSC Europe took stock of an impressive year of 2023 events and an exciting future for baseball/softball at its 2024 Congress in Málaga, Spain, last Saturday night at the Gala Evening on the Costa del Sol in southern Spain. 

The meeting was attended by an impressive 48 national federations out of a possible 52. They reflected on another very eventful year, with 26 events were developed, half of them baseball and half softball. Among the most important events were the European Baseball Championship, the European Men's Softball Championship, the European Baseball5 Championship and the European Blind Baseball Championship 2023.

There were also world-class tournaments in Europe. The group stage of the WBSC Women's Softball World Cup was successfully played on European soil in Ireland, Spain and Italy, as was the WBSC Youth Baseball5 World Cup in Turkey. 

WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari of Italy addressed the membership at this important meeting and reminded the Congress of all the exciting projects that are taking international baseball and softball to new levels around the world. "At this precious moment, the WBSC has much to celebrate, but two significant milestones come to mind: the 10th anniversary of the WBSC and the return of baseball and softball to the Olympic programme in Los Angeles in 2028," said the WBSC President.

"From two separate international baseball and softball federations in 2013 to one unified international governing body for baseball and softball, the WBSC is now one big family and WBSC Europe is an important part of it." 

"It has not been easy to unite the international baseball and softball federations that for decades have followed different and sometimes contradictory paths, but today we can say that all the uncertainties and doubts that some had at the beginning of this journey have been overcome," said the President, who took office in 2014.

"On 10 May - the tenth anniversary of the WBSC - we will celebrate this unity with World Baseball and Softball Day. We also have many exciting projects to celebrate, such as the popularity of Baseball5, the new Champions League of Baseball, the WBSC Legacy Club and the WBSC's prominent role in eSport within the Olympic Movement, as well as our path to the Olympic Games with Brisbane 2032 as our next goal," concluded the man who was born in Pisa, Italy, in May 1949. 

WBSC Europe President Kruno Karin opened the Congress by highlighting the continent's growth in all areas, while applauding France for becoming the first European nation to reach the #1 position in the WBSC/KONAMI Baseball5 World Ranking. "My congratulations to France for showing what is possible," said Karin. "Europe is growing well in baseball, softball and Baseball5. The numbers in baseball in particular show that it can be a great sport on our continent," he added.

Among other things, the promotional video for the WBSC Women's Softball World Cup Finals was presented. Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, was confirmed as the venue for the 8th WBSC Europe Congress from 7-9 February 2025.

Meanwhile, the following election results were announced:


WBSC Europe Hall of Fame:

Softball players: Cornelia Chwojka (Austria) and Theourania Zavitsanou (Greece).

Softball coach: Dionysis Chorafas (Greece).

Baseball administrators: Luis Ángel Melero Martin (Spain) and Stamos "Tom" Mazarakis (Greece).



WBSC Europe Executive Committee:

Baseball5 Vice-President: Youri Alkalay (Bulgaria).

General Member for Baseball: Pawel Szczepanik (Poland).

General Member for Softball: Konstantinos Liarommatis (Greece).