The World Games 2025: 10 things to know about the softball in Chengdu
The World Games 2025 will showcase both men’s and women’s softball, with eight teams competing for the gold medal at the year’s biggest multi-sport event. Here are 10 things you should know about the event:
1 - Softball is the longest sport in The World Games 2025 (TWG) programme, spanning 10 competition days. The men’s event will take place from 6 to 10 August, while the women’s tournament will run from 13 to 17 August. Softball, along with floorball, will open the Chengdu 2025 schedule one day before the Opening Ceremony.
2 - The first-ever TWG torch relay took place on 26 July, spanning the cities of Chengdu, Deyang, and Meishan in Sichuan Province. The relay included six legs: Sanxingdui Museum, Jinsha Site Museum, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Wuhou Shrine Museum, San Su Shrine Museum, and Xinglong Lake Wetland Park.
3 - Both baseball (then IBAF) and softball (then ISF) were founding members of the International World Games Association (IWGA), established on 21 May 1980.
4 - Eight teams will compete in each competition:
- Men’s tournament: Argentina, Australia, Japan, Canada, Venezuela, and USA qualified as the top six in the World Ranking as of 31 December 2024. Singapore and Czechia received wild cards.
- Women’s tournament: USA, Japan, Puerto Rico, Chinese Taipei, Netherlands, and Canada earned qualification as the top six teams in the World Ranking as of 31 December 2024. China (host) and Australia (wild card) completed the line-up.
5 - This will be the fourth official appearance of women’s softball at The World Games, following editions in Santa Clara 1981, London 1985, and Birmingham 2022. It was also featured as an invitational sport in Kaohsiung 2009 and Cali 2013. Men’s softball was included in Santa Clara 1981 and now returns to the programme after 44 years.
6 - The eight teams in each category have been split into two groups. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semifinals, with the winners qualifying for the gold medal game.
7 - Softball was one of the most successful sports at The World Games 2022 in Birmingham, with record-setting attendance for both the overall tournament and a single game. It also had one of the youngest athlete averages at 25 years old.
8 - Australia, Canada, Japan, and USA are the only nations competing in both men’s and women’s events in Chengdu.
9 - USA has won all three women’s softball gold medals at The World Games. Will they extend their streak in Chengdu? If Japan wins, they will complete the prestigious treble: World Games, Olympic Games, and World Cup gold medals.
10 - A total of 40 games will be played at the Xindu Better City Softball Arena. The men’s gold medal game is scheduled for 10 August at 13:00 local time, while the women’s final will take place on 17 August at 12:30. Both gold medal sessions are already sold out.