Major Announcements in Tokyo, Taipei City on WBSC Premier12 Flagship Baseball Event
<h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>MEDIA ADVISORY – PRESS CONFERENCES 19 & 20 JANUARY</strong></span></h4>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>WBSC PREMIER 12 HOST CITIES, SECRET ‘GRAND OPENING’ LOCATION </strong><strong><strong>AND OFFICIAL LOGO TO BE UNVEILED</strong></strong></h3>
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<p><strong>ATTENDEES:<br />
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<p><strong>Riccardo Fraccari</strong>, President, World Baseball Softball Confederation</p>
<p><strong>Katsuhiko Kumazaki</strong>, Commissioner, Nippon Professional Baseball</p>
<p><strong>Ms. Beng Choo Low, </strong>Secretary General, WBSC</p>
<p><strong>Tom Peng</strong>, President, Baseball Federation of Asia</p>
<p><strong>Tai-Cheng Chen</strong>, President, Chinese Taipei Baseball Association</p>
<p><strong>Tokyo Special Guests</strong>:</p>
<p><strong>Hiroki Kokubo</strong>, Manager, World No. 1 Samurai Japan National Baseball Team/1992 Olympic Bronze Medalist</p>
<p><strong>Ms. Taeko Utsugi</strong>, ex-Manager, Japanese National Olympic Softball Team/Board Member, WBSC</p>
<p><strong>Yoshinobu Suzuki</strong>, Board Member, Baseball Federation of Japan/Japanese Olympic Committee</p>
<p><strong>WHAT:</strong></p>
<p>World governing body WBSC and its partners will reveal a series of exciting announcements on the launching of the new <a href="https://www.ibaf.org/en/news/2014/11/26/worlds-top-12-nations-revealed-for-first-ever-prem/c7d7fcab-0e8b-468a-bb42-cf4e77ffc635">WBSC Premier 12</a> Pro Baseball National Team World Championship, including a secret Grand Opening location, naming of host cities, presentation/video animation to unveil the Official WBSC Premier 12 Logo and outlining of the November 2015 tournament dates.</p>
<p>The high-ranking officials will also discuss the importance and positioning of the new quadrennial flagship event atop the WBSC international baseball tournament hierarchy – particularly as it relates to further showcasing the global game, and to supporting the supreme aim of returning baseball, in partnership with softball, to the Olympic Games – what would become the highest platform for National Baseball and Softball Teams. Officials will outline how the rolling out of the new WBSC elite baseball event could potentially serve as a direct qualifier for and promoter of the Olympic Games.</p>
<p>The WBSC Premier 12 tournament format and the unique qualification process that unites the Top 12 National Baseball Teams in the world will be analysed and discussed in greater detail.</p>
<p>Announcements to be made in Tokyo and Taipei City follow the historic Olympic Agenda 2020 reforms that have opened the possibility of new sport events, like baseball/softball – Japan’s No. 1 spectator sport – to bring added excitement to the Tokyo 2020 Games.</p>
<p>These highly important themes will be of special interest to media and baseball/softball’s fans, players and stakeholders worldwide.</p>
<p><strong>WHEN <strong>& WHERE<br />
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<p>Monday, <strong>19 January</strong> at 16:00<br />
Grand Prince Hotel Shin Takanawa<br />
3-13-1 Takanawa<br />
Minato, TOKYO 108-0074<br />
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<p>Tuesday, <strong>20 January</strong> at 15:00<br />
Mandarin Oriental Hotel<br />
158 Dunhua North Road<br />
TAIPEI 10548, Taiwan</p>
<p><em>All times local</em></p>
<p><strong>RSVP:</strong> media@wbsc.org, <a href="https://twitter.com/wbsc" target="_blank">@WBSC</a><br />
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<p><strong>About WBSC Premier12: </strong>The WBSC Premier12 has been designed to be a compact event (9 days of competition) that features the Top 12-ranked National Teams in the world.</p>
<p>The WBSC Premier12 platform will distribute US$ millions in prize money and will award the highest amount of world ranking points of any international baseball tournament.</p>
<p>The WBSC Premier12 will give each of the 12 qualified nation’s best players the opportunity — and the highest honour — to represent/promote their countries in international play and showcase the sport of baseball to a global audience.<strong> </strong></p>
<p>All WBSC’s baseball world championship platforms — from the U-12, U-15, U-18 and U-21 Baseball World Cups to the 2013 World Baseball Classic and sanctioned/recognised international competitions — have shaped the rankings and qualification into the 2015 WBSC Premier12.</p>
<p>The Top 12 nations qualified into the 2015 WBSC Premier12 are based on the 2014 end-of-the-year WBSC World Baseball Rankings.</p>
<p>Official Hashtag: #Premier12</p>