WBSC REVEALS GROUPS, BRANDING FOR U-12 BASEBALL WORLD CUP 2017 IN TAINAN, TAIWAN
LAUSANNE, Switzerland -- The World Baseball Softball Confederation today revealed the groups and Official Look of the IV WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup® 2017, which will be staged from 28 July to 6 August in Tainan, TaiwanThe biennial WBSC U-12 youth world championship is baseball's highest level of competition for the world's top 11- and 12-year-old players and is the only international baseball competition in this youth age category to feature National Teams, which are exclusive to WBSC-sanctioned competitions"The U-12 Baseball World Cup 2017 -- an Under-12 world championship -- is unique in the world of sport," said WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari. "This global youth platform, together with our newly launched Youth Commission, reflects how determined WBSC is to grow baseball/softball into one of the world's biggest sports in the youth space."rnThe 12 nations emerging from continental qualifiers have been drawn into two groups of six and will begin the tournament For the Title of World Champion with a round-robin:rnHost and U-12 World Cup 2015 silver medallists/No. 4 Chinese Taipei, current world No. 1 Japan, No. 6 Mexico, No. 14 Czech Republic, No. 17 Brazil and No. 28 South Africa have been drawn in to Group AIn Group B, two-time defending U-12 world champions/No. 2 United States, No. 3 Korea, No. 10 Australia, No. 15 Panama, U-12 World Cup 2015 bronze medallists/No. 16 Nicaragua, and European champions/No. 20 Germany have been pitted togetherThe top three finishers from each group will continue in the Super Round group stage. The two nations with the best overall record at the end of the Super Round will play in the world championship game at Tainan Municipal Baseball Stadium on 6 AugustThe Final of the III U-12 Baseball World Cup in 2015 sold out the 11,000-seat Tainan Municipal Stadium -- home of the club Uni-President Lions of the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL)The youth National Teams not advancing to the Super Round Robin will be grouped together to battle for 7th - 12th place in the Consolation RoundAs an official National Team world championship, the winning country of the U-12 Baseball World Cup will be awarded 345 points in the WBSC Baseball World Rankings
