Taiwan To Host 37th World Cup Baseball Games In 2007

Playfuls.com

06:39 AM, November 20th 2006

by Sport Editor

Taiwan will host the 37th World Cup baseball games next year, the Central News Agency (CNA) said Monday, quoting Tom Peng, acting president of the International Baseball Federation (IBAF).

Peng made the announcement Sunday night during the closing ceremony of the 16th Intercontinental Cup baseball tournament at Intercontinental Stadium in Taichung, central Taiwan.

Cuba defended its title by beating the Netherlands 6-3 in the championship game of the eight-team tournament.

Peng said that because of Taichung City's successful hosting of the Intercontinental Cup and Taichung Mayor Jason Hu's strong bid to host the World Cup, IBAF has decided to hold the 37th World Cup tournament in November 2007 in Taichung.

"So we will meet here again next November," Peng told 15,000 spectators at Intercontinental Stadium, which was built for the 16th Intercontinental Cup tournament.

Peng is also president of the Chinese-Taipei Baseball Association.

The World Cup baseball tournament, called the Baseball World Cup (BWC) by IBAF, was first held in Britain in 1938, drawing only two teams.

Over the years, the BWC has developed into the biggest baseball tournament in the world. The 36th BWC in 2005 attracted 18 teams.

Cuba has dominated the BWC, winning 25 of 36 tournaments including the last nine events.

Taiwan has hosted the BWC once in 2001.

The BWC is now challenged by the World Baseball Classic, which was launched by US-based Major League Baseball to raise the international profile of professional baseball.

To be played every four years, the inaugural World Baseball Classic was played in March in the United States, with some preliminary games in Puerto Rico and Japan.

Baseball originated in the United States and is also popular in Canada, parts of the Caribbean and Latin America, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.

DPA