by World Baseball Softball Confederation, www.wbsc.org
The Paris-based Francophone Association of Baseball Softball (AFBS) staged its first-ever U-12 youth international baseball tournament.
The four-nation youth baseball showcase took place from 18-21 July in Bingerville, Ivory Coast, as a demonstration event ahead of the Francophone Games.
The U-12 Youth National Teams of host Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, France and Ghana competed in the WBSC-sanctioned Francophone baseball event.
“Increasing baseball’s global footprint and bringing the more sporting opportunities to French-speaking nations is the essence of our institution and what we have been entrusted to do by the World Baseball Softball Confederation,” said AFBS President Didier Seminet.
The Francophone Games are held every four years and bring together hundreds of athletes and artists from across the Francophone world. This event is the only major international event that present both sports and cultural competitions. The Games are a unique opportunity to showcase the scope and originality of the French culture as well as athletic ability in French-speaking countries around the world.
WBSC is actively supporting the first-ever Francophone international baseball tournament.
“Congratulations to the Francophone Association of Baseball Softball,” said WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari. “This is a historic event for many reasons. This is the first international baseball event hosted in the Ivory Coast, and for it to be a Francophone youth event makes it a particular milestone for our sport.”
AFBS and WBSC are targeting growth among young French speakers around the world, which encompass approximately 84 nations and a market of 800 million people.