Second WBSC Blind Baseball International Cup to open in London on Friday

The National Baseball and Softball Complex at Farnham Park in Buckinghamshire, England, just outside London, will host the second WBSC Blind Baseball International Cup from Friday, September 27, to Sunday, September 29.

The eight participating teams have been split into two groups for the Opening Round:

Great Britain, Hungary, Pakistan and the United States will compete in Group A. Group B includes Cuba, China, Italy and the Netherlands.

Italy-China and Hungary-USA will open the tournament at 09:00 (local time).

The first two days of competition will see the participants complete the Opening Round before the semifinals on Saturday. The second-ranked team in Group B will play the top-ranked team in Group A, while the other semifinal will feature the second-ranked team in Group A against the top-ranked team in Group B.

Following the semifinals, the tournament will conclude on Sunday with the bronze medal game at 09:00, the gold medal game at 11:30 and a closing ceremony.

Italy are the defending European champions and the team to beat having won the inaugural WBSC Blind Baseball International Cup in 2022 in the Netherlands ahead of Great Britain and the United States.

"We are going there to win," said manager Mauro Corazza. "I've been involved for 18 years and want to stress the improvement we have registered. We have blind players who can run home to first in 10 seconds."

"Many teams have improved [since 2022]," he added. " I believe our strongest opponent will be Cuba. I can't wait to see Pakistan and China on the field, and I'm told the United States and Great Britain have really improved. I anticipate a high-profile tournament."

Cuba, China Pakistan and Hungary will make their first appearance in the WBSC Blind Baseball International Cup.

Cuba's captain Maikel Merino received the national flag from José Antonio Miranda, the country's High Performance Director at the National Institute of Sports.

"We have practiced since September 19 at Changa Mederos Stadium in Havana. Our goal is to compete for the gold medal in Sunday's final," said Merino to the Jit.cu website.

The head of delegation Enrique Cepeda added that their preparation has concentrated on defence: "We believe defence can make the difference. Still, we count on very good hitting."

Great Britain, the runner up in 2022, also aims at competing for the title.

"We have won medals at the last two tournaments we have been to," said Richard Evans, the British Baseball Federation Communications Director, in an RNIB Connect Radio podcast. Italy is the team to beat, but we have been training hard. We are confident."

Evans also said Blind Baseball "is relatively new" in the UK. "The game's strongholds are in Northern England and South Wales. We currently have six teams active in Blind Baseball, and it is growing.

Evans added that when he first became involved in the discipline, "it was fascinating from a baseball point of view seeing these boys and girls taking on the game."

He described the game this way: "If you are used to baseball, you will recognise it, but so many differences make it a fascinating spectacle to watch. It's just fantastic to watch the effort. It's intense and athletic, and there is a desire to win."

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