Baseball5 to feature as demonstration sport in Mediterranean Games 2026

Members of the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) representing countries involved in the Mediterranean Games met on Friday, October 17, during the WBSC Congress at the Grand Fourwings Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand with Iavokos Filippousis, the Secretary General of the International Committee of Mediterranean Games (ICMG) and a member of the Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC) for multiple terms.

ICMG added Baseball5 to the Mediterranean Games as a demonstration sport for the 2026 edition, which Italy will host in Taranto, in the Southern Puglia Region, from August 21 to September 3.

"Baseball5 is growing worldwide and, to provide more opportunities for growth to our athletes and our members, we are trying hard to have Baseball5 in targeted strategic Multi-Sports-Games," said WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari. "In particular, for us the Mediterranean Games are very important because they fit within our vision to expand the sport of Baseball/Softball in a geographic area where our sport was not prominent before, and thanks to Baseball5, it is recently developing and engaging with new communities of young players.

"The presence of Mr Iakovos Filippousis highlights the strong and growing connection between the Mediterranean sporting community and the WBSC," President Fraccari added.

The ICMG Secretary General thanked the WBSC for the invitation and confirmed that the Mediterranean Games Technical Commission gave a positive recommendation about Baseball5.
"Baseball5 provides gender equality, which is fundamental for the Mediterranean countries, but also it is very energetic, it is urban, it is fast, it is television-friendly. So we are really, really optimistic that in the future this could be one of the new sports to be added in our core programme."

The plan to facilitate Baseball5's position in the Mediterranean Games is to establish a WBSC Mediterranean Union.

"Out of the 26 countries participating in the Mediterranean Games, 16 are WBSC Members [Egypt, Tunisia, Syria, Turkey, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Kosovo, Malta, Portugal, San Marino, Serbia, Slovenia, and Spain]," WBSC Executive Director Michael Schmidt said. "If we want to be part of the Mediterranean Games permanently, we need to do a good demonstration in Taranto next summer."

Elliot Fleys, representing the French Baseball Softball Federation (FFBS) commented.
"I think many countries are playing all around the world, almost as much as in softball now, so that's crazy for a young sport like this. It's another step. I think it's very important to enter the Baseball5 in European sports events."

Spain's Pablo Carpio added.
"In our federation [The Royal Baseball Softball Federation, RFEBS] we are also improving the Baseball5 competitions. Our activity from this year has grown up, so we are also excited about the idea of taking part in these Mediterranean Games."

"Seeing where we are today with Baseball5 and being in the Youth Olympic Games next year, it's something that shows the vision and the future of this sport," said Marco Mazzieri, the Italian Baseball Softball Federation (FIBS) President. "The fact that we'll be in Taranto for the Mediterranean Games as a demonstration sport with Baseball5, that took the administration in Taranto to build a new field, a baseball field, artificial turf. So this is another proof of how Baseball5 and Baseball and Softball could grow together and grow the sport at a higher level."

The Hellenic Baseball Softball Federation's President Kostis Liarommatis suggested that, following Baseball5, Baseball and Softball could also be part of the Mediterranean Games in the near future.

"First of all, I would like to thank WBSC for the help they showed and gave us over the years. Last week we started our first Baseball5 project in schools," said Andrew Bajo, the Malta Baseball and Softball Association President. "I like the idea of the Mediterranean Games. I support it."

The idea of holding the Mediterranean Games was proposed at the 1948 Summer Olympics by Muhammed Taher Pasha, chairman of the Egyptian Olympic Committee and vice-president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), with assistance from the Greek member of the IOC, Ioannis Ketseas.

The Games were inaugurated in October 1951, in Alexandria, Egypt, with 13 sports. The first eleven Mediterranean Games took place one year before the Summer Olympics. Since 1993, games have been held the year after the Olympic Games.

Oran (Algeria) hosted the XIX edition in 2022.

Today, 26 countries compete in the Mediterranean Games:

Africa (5): Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia
Asia (2): Lebanon, Syria
Europe (19): Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Kosovo, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Portugal, San Marino, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey.

As stated above, Taranto, Italy, will host the XX Mediterranean Games from August 21 to September 3, 2026.

Pristina, Kosovo, will host the XXI edition from Juy 24 to August 4, 2030.