2020-12-05

WBSC continues development of baseball and softball despite COVID-19 pandemic

（ Friday, 4 December 2020）　The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) has spoke about the development of its two sports in its "2020 End of Year Review" series, stating its optimism, despite the year being blighted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Baseball and softball is currently practised by approximately 65 million people across more than 140 countries and territories around the world, the WBSC claim.
WBSC is now aiming to boost those numbers this decade through its newest development plans.
The WBSC started the year with a strategy to roll out its development projects with some of them being implemented in the early part of 2020 prior to the pandemic.
Some of these included softball coaching seminars in Asia and the Africa Development Project, which was held in Tanzania.
An Africa Development Project run by the WBSC took place in Tanzania earlier this year before the coronavirus pandemic struck ©WBSC
Since the outbreak, WBSC has switched to online courses and digital tools to help to promote development of its sports during a period of travel and social restrictions.
This led to the creation of the WBSC Academy as well as online courses for Baseball5 for African and Asian coaches.
With the WBSC Academy set to be fully operational in 2021, the WBSC looks to expand efforts to players, coaches, officials and fans to further boost the sport in 2021.
The WBSC Academy was launched last month and is there to help with development across baseball, softball and Baseball5.
The Africa Development Project looks to boost baseball and softball on the continent through improving managerial skills, while the WBSC will support the national federations in the organisation of the events.