by International Baseball Federation, www.ibaf.org
Another new international baseball stadium was inaugurated in Europe on Wednesday. After new ballparks were built in Brest (Belarus), Mainz (Germany), Sundbyberg (Sweden) and Parma (Italy) in recent years, a new field was inaugurated in Senart (France) a couple of kilometers south of Paris, raising the prospects for more elite level baseball events in France and Europe.
Construction of the field began last July and was completed just in time for the start of the 2012 baseball season.
“This facility just outside Paris will add some very interesting hosting possibilities and development projects for European Baseball,” said International Baseball Federation president, Riccardo Fraccari, via telephone from Havana, Cuba.
“We are very encouraged by the momentum of baseball in France and Europe in general, as more and more countries are competing on baseball’s world stage and facilities like this will help continue elevating the skill level and standards of players in Europe.” Fraccari continued.
The new baseball stadium, which fulfills all international standards, features a state of the art clubhouse with a bar, a synthetic playing surface, a modern lightning system, bullpens and covered batting cages. There are also plans to incorporate a regional training center in the area to further strengthen the development of baseball in France and Europe on the whole.
“Our hats go off to our colleagues at the French Baseball and Softball Federation for this world-class venue and their commitment to the development of the game in their country and beyond,” Fraccari noted.
Didier Seminet and Jean-Christophe Tiné of the French Baseball and Softball Federation attended the inauguration ceremony on Wednesday among numerous local dignitaries. With this new venue, France is expected to host European and International tournaments in Senart in the future.