WBSC President Fraccari meets Saudi Olympic officials to advance Baseball/Softball development

WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari welcomed Mr Abdulaziz Baeshen, Secretary General of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, to the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) headquarters on Wednesday for high-level discussions focused on accelerating the growth of Baseball/Softball in Saudi Arabia and the wider region.

The meeting highlighted the significant potential of Baseball/Softball, especially two of the WBSC's disciplines experiencing rapid global momentum - Baseball5 and eSports.

With Baseball5 set to make its Youth Olympic Games debut in Dakar, Senegal in 2026, and eBaseball emerging as one of the world’s most popular, competitive sports gaming titles, both sides explored opportunities to expand participation and visibility across Saudi Arabia’s fast-growing sports landscape.

WBSC CEO Michael Schmidt and Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee board member and Chief of Staff Dr Ghassan Bin Youssef Tashkandi also took part in the discussions.

President Fraccari commended Saudi Arabia’s recent activity in Baseball5, noting development initiatives led by the Saudi Baseball Softball Confederation, which is currently ranked 36th in the WBSC Baseball5 World Ranking.

Just last month, the federation hosted Baseball5 courses in Riyadh and Dhahran, attended by President Fraccari, further demonstrating the nation’s commitment to grassroots expansion.

The WBSC and Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee agreed to continue strengthening cooperation as Saudi Arabia positions itself as an emerging hub for Baseball5, eBaseball and other WBSC disciplines in the Middle East.