The first challenge to the right to participate in the official Dakar Youth Olympics in 2026 'Baseball 5' has begun.
The Korea Baseball Softball Association (KBSA, President Yang Hae-young) announced in a press release on the 7th that it will send the Korean national team to the 2nd U-18 Baseball 5 Asia Cup to be held in Taipei, Taiwan from March 11 to 14.
Seven countries, including South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Malaysia, Iraq, Thailand and Hong Kong, will participate in the tournament, and the top three teams will secure tickets to the WBSC U-18 Baseball 5 World Cup, which is scheduled to be held in Mexico in June. The results of the Asian Cup and World Cup will determine the participating countries for the 2026 Dakar Youth Olympics.
The tournament will be held in a full-league manner in the group qualifying round, followed by a ranking match between the 5th and 7th places, a bronze medal match, and a final match depending on the results of the league match. Starting with the opening match against Hong Kong at 10 a.m. on the 11th (Korea time), the Korean national team will make its first attempt to win the championship. In the afternoon of this day, a showdown with Taiwan, the winner of the first tournament and a strong candidate for the championship, is scheduled.
The competition for the championship with Taiwan and Japan is inevitable. Taiwan has consistently achieved excellent results in international competitions by age in five baseball events. Japan is also evaluated as a strong team with solid performance and organizational power. Malaysia and Thailand are the `dark horses' of this tournament. Both teams have recently seen rapid growth in their baseball 5 performance.
In November last year, South Korea will compete under the national flag in Gyeonggi Province, the winner of the '2024 Provincial and Asian Cup Baseball 5th tournament and the Asian Cup national selection match' held in Hoengseong. Coach Kim Young-woo (Gyeonggi Baseball Softball Association) and training coach Shin Kyung-joon (Korea Baseball Softball Association) joined the coaching staff under the leadership of Choi Ha-na (Gyeonggi Baseball Softball Association), who led the team and participated in the 2nd Baseball 5 Asia Cup as a player. Four male players, including Bae Chang-ryul (Gyeonggi Aviation High School), Park Joon-seo (Daejeon High School), So Jae-hwi (Yoo Shin-go), and Jeong Song-yeop (Ansan Industrial High School), and four female players, including Jeong Da-eun (Gapyeong High School), Choi Dre (Oryu High School), Park Hong-eun (Hallim Arts High School), and Kwak Min-jeong (Hyesung High School), have built a strong teamwork. The U-18 national team will convene on the 2nd and prepare for the opening game on the 11th by leaving flight KE0185 at 6 a.m. on the 9th after a week of intense practical training at the Suwon Rehabilitation and Veterans Sports Center in Gyeonggi-do.
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| 2024 Youth Sports Hanmadang Baseball 5 Competition was held at Sejong Civic Gymnasium on the 14th. The participants in the Baseball 5 game. Sejong = Reporter Heo Sang-wook wook@sportschosun.com / |
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Nicknamed 'Fistball', Baseball5 is an urban sport newly introduced by the WBSC (World Baseball Softball Federation), similar to the game of 'Champong' that people in their 40s and 50s enjoyed in playgrounds and classrooms when they were young. Hit and receive the ball with your hands without equipment such as bat or glove. The five-inning game is thrilling. There are no restrictions on equipment and facilities, so anyone of all ages can enjoy it anytime, anywhere. It was also adopted as an official event for the 2026 Dakar Youth Olympics as the advantages of the accessibility of a mixed event, which requires at least two men and women to participate, are in line with the IOC's needs for "everybody's sport". The Korea Baseball Softball Association is making various efforts to revitalize Baseball 5 in Korea, including holding various competitions, training leaders, and revitalizing school sports clubs. In particular, with this participation in the Asia Cup, we plan to use it as an opportunity to further increase interest in Baseball 5 in Korea and strengthen international competitiveness.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
