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Press release World Baseball Softball Confederation
TAICHUNG, Chinese Taipei – The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) today unveiled the game schedules for Groups A and B of the 2019 WBSC Premier12® and released the official promotional video for the year’s biggest international baseball event and qualifier for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
The major announcements were made Friday at a press conference held at Taichung City Hall.
National Teams learn first opponents
The top-ranked team in Europe will meet the top-ranked from the Americas to open the 2019 Premier12 on 2 November, when world No. 2 USA takes on world No. 8 Netherlands in Group A action at Estadio de Beisbol Charros de Jalisco in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Group A host No. 6 Mexico and 2013 World Baseball Classic Champions No. 12 Dominican Republic will collide in Game 2.
Group B opens at Taoyuan International Baseball Stadium on 5 November with the top-ranked baseball nation in South America, No. 9 Venezuela, against world No. 1 Japan, while host No. 4 Chinese Taipei and No. 11 Puerto Rico, the team that knocked Chinese Taipei out of the 2015 Premier12, will meet at Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium.
“Today we celebrate one of the most exciting moments on the road to the Premier12 and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games,” said WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari. “The stakes have never been as high for an international baseball competition, and we expect some very high-pressure, intense and exciting games as well as big surprises in the Opening Round.”
The game schedule for Group C at Seoul’s Gocheok Sky Dome, which features defending Premier12 Champions No. 3 Korea, No. 5 Cuba, No. 7 Australia and No. 10 Canada will be revealed on Monday, 15 April, at a press conference in the Korean capital.
The full opening round schedule of the 2019 Premier12 consists of a total of 18 games – 6 games per group. The top two teams from each group will advance to Japan to compete in the Super Round from 11-16 November at Chiba’s ZOZO Marine Stadium and the Tokyo Dome, with the Finals to be played on 17 November at the Tokyo Dome.
Official Promotional Video released
The official promotional video – Is Your Country Ready II – was unveiled to great acclaim in Taichung, exciting players and fans around the world.
WBSC directed and produced the promotional video in collaboration with Leeds, UK-based WORKS, the mega-events branding agency that has helped roll out some of the world’s biggest sports properties, including the FIFA World Cup.