Baseball Softball confirmed on 2029 FISU World University Games programme
Baseball/softball has been confirmed on the sports programme of the 2029 FISU World University Games in North Carolina, USA, marking a major milestone for the continued growth of the sport within the global multisport event movement.
The confirmation came during a strategic meeting at the headquarters of the International University Sports Federation (FISU) in Lausanne, Switzerland on Tuesday, where leadership teams from the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) and FISU reaffirmed their commitment to expanding opportunities for student-athletes worldwide.
President Riccardo Fraccari led a WBSC delegation including Executive Director Michael Schmidt and Chief Operating Officer Marco Ienna in the meeting with FISU which included FISU President Leonz Eder, Andrea Uccello (Director of FISU World University Championships & Cups), Fernando Parente (FISU Deputy Secretary-General and Director of Education and Development) and FISU Chief Sports Officer Shen Zhen.
The inclusion of baseball and softball in the 2029 FISU World University Games provides a prestigious international platform for university athletes to compete at the highest level while representing their institutions and nations. The FISU World University Games — one of the largest multi-sport events in the world — bring together thousands of student-athletes from across the globe.
For the WBSC, the Games represent a critical component of the long-term athlete development system, reinforcing the importance of university sport as a stepping stone towards professional and international baseball and softball careers. It also follows in the footsteps of the strong partnership the WBSC has been developing with the International School Sport Federation.
"It was a pleasure to meet with FISU President Leonz Eder and his team to reinforce our collaboration and confirm the inclusion of Baseball and Softball in the 2029 FISU World University Games in North Carolina," President Fracarri said. "It represents a major step forward for our global university pathway."
President Fraccari and President Eder emphasised the importance of aligning international federation strategies with the university sports ecosystem and discussed the further development of baseball and softball within the university sports movement, including the potential inclusion of Baseball5 in future editions of the University Games and/or its beach games cluster, as well as exploring the potential for innovative rules and regulations in specific aspects.
Both organisations reiterated a shared commitment to leveraging university sport as a development pathway for the next generation of athletes, leaders, and sport ambassadors worldwide. Recognising the unique role that university competition plays in nurturing talent, the meeting focused on expanding opportunities for student-athletes to engage with baseball and softball at the highest level of global university sport.
Founded in 1949, FISU is the worldwide governing body for national university sports organisations, responsible for organising international sporting events for student-athletes, including the World University Games (formerly Universiade).
Men's Baseball was included as an optional sport at the World University Games in 1993 in Buffalo (USA), 1995 in Fukuoka (Japan), 2015 in Gwangju (Korea), and 2017 in Taipei (Taiwan).
A Baseball University Championship was held in 2002 (Messina, Italy), 2004 (Tainan, Taiwan), 2006 (Havana, Cuba), 2008 (Brno, Czechia), 2010 (Tokyo, Japan) and 2018 (Chayi, Taiwan).
Women's Softball was on the World University Games programne in 2007 in Bangkok (Thailand) and 2017 in Taipei (Taiwan).
A Women's Softball World University Championship was held in 2004 (Plant City, USA) and 2006 (Tainan, Taiwan).