FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 4, 2010

SEEDINGS SET FOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Coordination Commission Completes Visit to Caracas

PLANT CITY, FLORIDA (USA) -- In 111 days 16 countries will begin vying to be called “number 1.” Thus, preparations are nearing a fever pitch in Caracas, Venezuela, which will host the International Softball Federation’s XII Women’s World Championship from June 23-July 2.

A 2010 World Championship Coordination Commission has just returned from a visit this past weekend to the South American country. ISF Secretary General Ms. LOW Beng Choo (Malaysia) headed the group that visited for two days with Venezuelan Sports Minister Victoria Mata, General Alirio Ramirez, Colonel Antonio Benavidez, and several organizing committee representatives, along with ISF VP/Latin America Jésus Suniaga, who is also the president of the Venezuela Softball Federation.

The meetings covered topics ranging from transportation and accommodations to security, and several other aspects of the event planning, including television broadcasts. The delegation also visited the playing facilities and another meeting has been scheduled in Caracas for the first week of May.

The seedings have also now been set for the fast pitch tournament, in accordance with the ISF Competition & Technical Code. The teams will be in two pools, as follows:

Pool A	Pool B
Japan	USA
Canada	Australia
Chinese Taipei	China
Netherlands	Venezuela
Great Britain	New Zealand
South Africa	Botswana
Argentina	Dominican Republic
Cuba	Czech Republic

The game schedule has not yet been finalized but will be released immediately upon its conclusion.

This year’s event marks the 45th anniversary of the first-ever softball world championship (see commemorative logo below). Five women’s teams competed in Melbourne, Australia, in 1965, and one year later the first men’s world championship was held (eleven countries competed in Mexico City). Eventually world championships were also started in the junior women’s and junior men’s categories (age 19-and-under).

 

 

About the ISF
The ISF is the world governing body of the sport as recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and SportAccord (formerly the General Association of International Sports Federations). Softball (women's fast pitch) made its Olympic debut at the 1996 Games in Atlanta. There are 128 affiliated countries in the ISF and millions of participants in the sport worldwide.

MEDIA: For more information, please contact ISF Director of Communications Bruce Wawrzyniak at brucew@ISFsoftball.org or (813) 864-0100, ext. 229.