100 days to go: Five reasons to follow women's softball at The World Games 2025 Chengdu

The countdown to The World Games (TWG) 2025 Chengdu is on, with the women's softball event now just 100 days away. The competition will feature five thrilling days of action at the Xindu Better City Softball Arena.

Here are five reasons why you won’t want to miss women’s softball at The World Games 2025 in Chengdu.

1. China welcomes the world of women's softball once again

With TWG 2025, the global softball community returns to China after 17 years. This event will mark the third time that China has hosted a major global international women’s softball competition. The last time the sport visited the country for a worldwide event was for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. This city also hosted the WBSC Women's Softball World Cup 2006, which served as a test event for the Olympics.

With Chengdu 2025, China will become only the second nation in the world - along with USA - to host the WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup, the Olympic softball tournament, and TWG softball competition.

The last major international women's softball events held in China were the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games and the Tokyo 2020 Asia/Oceania Olympic Qualifier, played in 2019 in Shanghai.

2. The finest international women’s softball competition of the year

TWG will be the biggest international women’s softball tournament in 2025. The top six teams in the WBSC Women’s Softball World Ranking - No. 1 USA, No. 2 Japan, No. 3 Puerto Rico, No. 4 Chinese Taipei, No. 5 Netherlands, and No. 6 Canada - have all secured their spots. They will be joined by No. 10 Australia (as a wild card) and host nation China, currently ranked No. 12.

Five of these teams competed in the  WBSC Women's Softball World Cup Finals 2024, with Chinese Taipei being the only exception.

The WBSC Women's Softball World Cup will return in 2026 with group stage events in Czechia, Peru, and the USA, followed by the Finals in 2027. 

3. Can anyone beat USA at TWG?

USA has dominated TWG, winning gold in all three official softball editions: Santa Barbara 1981, London 1985, and Birmingham 2022. The red, white, and blue will aim to extend their winning streak in Chengdu.

But the competition will be fierce. Canada, Chinese Taipei, and Japan have all claimed silver in previous editions, with Chinese Taipei also earning a bronze medal. Can one of them finally win the title? Will the Netherlands return to the podium after their bronze medal in 1985? Are Puerto Rico, Australia, or host China ready to claim gold for the first time in a global event?

On 16 August, after 18 thrilling games, we’ll know the answers.

4. Japan: Chasing their first TWG gold and a historic treble

Japan arrives in Chengdu as the reigning Olympic and World Champions. TWG are the only global title missing from the Japanese powerhouse’s trophy cabinet.

A win in Chengdu would not only give them their first World Games gold medal but also make them the first nation ever to simultaneously hold the three biggest global titles in the sport - Olympic Games, WBSC World Cup, and TWG.

Japan won the last two Olympic gold medals in softball, with iconic victories over USA in Beijing 2008 and Tokyo 2020. Last year, they clinched their fourth world title by winning the World Cup in Italy. Can they complete the treble in Chengdu?

5. The prelude to the LA28 Olympics

With three years to go until LA28, women's softball teams around the world are already looking ahead to the next Olympic Games in Los Angeles. While the next WBSC Women's Softball World Cup will take place in 2026 (Group Stage) and 2027 (Finals), TWG 2025 will serve as a key step in teams’ Olympic preparations.

Softball will return to the Olympic stage at Softball Park in Oklahoma City, where the world’s top six teams will once again battle for gold. With USA automatically qualified as the host nation, the qualification process (still to be announced) will determine the remaining five spots. TWG 2025 in Chengdu could be one of the last chances for these teams to fine-tune their strategies for the road to LA28.