by IBAF, www.ibaf.org
Logistical Elements Confirmed for September Pan-European Event
The International Baseball Federation (IBAF) met with the host cities of the 2009 Baseball World Cup in Frankfurt, Germany last Friday to finalize plans for the hosting of the tournament and ensure that all the host nations were on track. The meeting completed the most critical stage for the event preparation and will now give all involved the opportunity to concentrate on sponsorship partners, television and new media, in addition to setting rosters.
“It was excellent to see all the hosts’ countries in one room, and to see how far baseball has come with this event,” said John Ostermeyer, IBAF Secretary General. “The show of professionalism is a compliment to the participating federations and local organizers, who have dedicated themselves to showing all of Europe the great game of baseball like it has never seen before. We are looking forward to our next meeting when we can announce media and business partners for this grand scale event.”
Included in the activity was the finalizing of the Swedish Federation’s host status, which will give the event a true pan-European face, with games taking place in seven nations and 27 venues. The Czech Republic added Ostrava to their venue list, supplementing the already-confirmed venue in Prague, while Italy confirmed that all 18 sites are prepared for World Cup-caliber play. Ticketing, television and media accreditation information for all venues will be announced in the coming few weeks. The first venue to put tickets on sale in Regensburg, Germany has already sold over 10,000 tickets.
The first round games will be held in Moscow, Russian; Prague, Czech Republic; Regensburg, Germany; Sundbyberg (Stockholm), Sweden; and Barcelona, Spain. The second round will be split between Italy and the Netherlands, while the final round will be in Italy on September 27 . In total, 22 nations will compete for the coveted world championship.