The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) today is celebrating one year to go to the return of Olympic Softball. Softball will be the first of 339 Olympic events contested at the Tokyo 2020 Games, with the tournament scheduled to open on 21 July 2021, two days prior to the official Opening Ceremony.
The date also marks the 25th anniversary of softball's Olympic debut at the Atlanta 1996 Games.
The athletes from the National Softball Teams of Australia and Japan will be the first to compete on the Tokyo 2020 Olympic stage, as the official schedule of the softball competition was unveiled on Friday.
The first six games of the softball competition will be held at Azuma Baseball Stadium in Fukushima, an area devastated by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake.
"The WBSC and the entire softball community are honoured to have been chosen to start the Games," said WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari. "This is a great opportunity to showcase how our sport and athletes can strengthen the Olympic Movement and its cause, and how our sport shares and promotes Olympic values.
"We will do everything we can to help shine the best light possible on Fukushima's transformation and how the Olympic Games are now more than ever a universal symbol of hope and solidarity for humanity."
On 21 July 2021, at 09:00 local time, Australia will face Japan, the host team and defending Olympic champion. Game 2 will see Italy compete against reigning world champions USA. The first day of competition will close with the Mexican National Softball Team making its historic Olympic debut against Canada.
The Tokyo 2020 Games will represent the fifth time softball has been featured at the Olympic Games (1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008).
The Tokyo 2020 softball tournament consists of a single round-robin opening round before the medal games are played on 27 July 2021, with the top two teams advancing to the gold medal game, while the third- and fourth-place finishers compete in the bronze medal game.
OLYMPIC SOFTBALL HISTORY
USA leads the all-time Olympic softball medal table, having captured three gold medals (Atlanta '96, Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004) and a silver (Beijing 2008), followed by Japan (gold in Beijing 2008, silver in Sydney, and bronze in Athens), Australia (silver in Athens, bronze in Atlanta, Sydney and Beijing) and China (silver in Atlanta). USA and Australia are the only nations to medal in every Olympic softball competition.
Australia, Canada, Japan and USA have participated in every Olympic softball event. Italy will be making its third appearance, while Mexico will participate in the Olympic Games for the first time.
25 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is www.aroundtherings.com, for subscribers only
Últimas Noticias
Boxing’s place in the Olympics remains in peril as IOC still unhappy with the state of AIBA’s reform efforts
The IOC says issues concerning governance, finance, and refereeing and judging must be sorted out to its satisfaction. AIBA says it’s confident that will happen and the federation will be reinstated.
McLaren report to FIBA confirms abuses in the Mali women’s basketball program
The investigation could not “independently verify” allegations against FIBA president Hamane Niang, who has resumed his duties after stepping aside during the probe.
ATR Extra: 1st ISF U15 World School Sport Games – Belgrade 2021
Olympic Channel is live streaming the basketball, basketball 3x3, football, judo and wrestling competitions during the event, which runs September 11-19.
International Judo Federation bans Algerian athlete and coach for 10 years for refusing to fight an Israeli at Tokyo 2020
Judoka Fethi Nourine and his coach Amar Benikhlef admitted they were withdrawing from competition to avoid a potential match with Tohar Butbul of Israel.
IIHF bans Belarus hockey president for five years for code of conduct violations - Federation Focus
Also: no contested election for next ITTF president; BWF calendar shrinks as event in India cancelled due to pandemic; FISU announces early bids for 2027 and 2029 World University Games
