WBSC Congress welcomes seven new Member Federations

The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Congress officially welcomed seven new full member federations during its opening session in Bangkok, Thailand on Saturday marking another milestone in the continued global expansion of baseball and softball.

The new members are:

• Chad Baseball and Softball Federation
• Guinea Baseball and Softball Federation
• Jordan Baseball and Softball Federation (upon termination of the Jordan Softball Union)
• Baseball and Softball Federation of Luxembourg
• Nigeria Baseball and Softball Federation
• DPR Korea Baseball Association (upon termination of the Baseball and Softball Association of DPR Korea)
• South Sudan Baseball & Softball Association (which was previously approved by the WBSC Executive Board on Thursday)

The Congress also acknowledged several national governance updates, including the establishment of unified governing bodies in Cuba and Russia — now represented by the Cuban Baseball and Softball Federation and the Russian Baseball and Softball Federation, respectively.

Additionally, several federations expanded their mandates to include both baseball and softball governance:

• The British Virgin Islands Softball-Baseball Association added baseball governance.
• The Saipan Baseball League added softball governance.
• The Nicaraguan Baseball/Softball Federation added softball governance following the termination of the Nicaraguan Softball Federation.
• The Portuguese Baseball and Softball Federation added softball governance.
• The Sint Maarten Baseball and Softball Federation also added softball governance.

The Congress further welcomed three new Associate Members (previously approved by the WBSC Executive Board):

• American Association of Professional Baseball
• Alternative Baseball Organization
• Na7ive Na7ions

Meanwhile, the Francophone Baseball and Softball Association (AFBS – Association Francophone de Baseball et Softball) was dismissed.

These changes reflect the WBSC’s ongoing efforts to strengthen the reach of baseball and softball across all continents and takes the total number of members to 207 including 192 National Federations and 15 Associate Members across 142 countries/territories.

Earlier, the Congress started with a warm welcome address by Assistant Professor Pimol Srivikorn, President of the National Olympic Committee of Thailand (NOCT), who expressed Thailand’s deep honour in hosting the global baseball and softball family. His remarks set the tone for a gathering defined by unity, growth, and respect for the values of sport.

Following the opening, Art Hainpanitroponni, President of the Softball Association of Thailand (SBAT) and Chair of the Local Organising Committee, also addressed delegates, officially welcoming all participants to the 6th WBSC Congress.

The assembly also opened with a heartfelt tribute to the baseball and softball community members who passed away since the last WBSC Congress in 2022 — individuals whose lifelong dedication helped shape the international game.

Among those honoured were:

• Jim Baba, former Chairman of the WBSC Technical Commission, who passed away in September at age 69.
• Osvaldo Gil, former Chair of the International Baseball Federation Technical Commission and revered as the “eternal President” of Puerto Rican baseball, who passed away in March at 92.
• Eduardo De Bello, former President of the Panama Baseball Federation and WBSC Americas, who passed away in July at 93.
• Sandy Alomar Sr., former MLB All-Star, coach, and manager of the Puerto Rican National Team, who passed away on 13 October 2025.

Their contributions and leadership were remembered with deep respect by the global baseball and softball community.