Members of the International Baseball adn Softball Federation (WBSC) representatives of the countries involved in the Mediterranean Games met on Friday October 17, during the WBSC Congress at the Grand Fourwings Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand, Iavokos Filippousis, Secretary General of the International Committee of the Mediterranean Games (ICMG) and member of the Greek Olympic Committee (HOC) since several mandates.
The ICMG has added Baseball5 as a demonstration sport for the 2026 edition of the Mediterranean Games which Italy will host in Taranto,Puglia region from august 21 to September 3.
“Baseball5 is growing around the world and we are working hard to bring Baseball5 to the Strategic multi-Sport Games program to provide more playing opportunities and growth for our members and athletes,” saeid WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari. “The Mediterranean Games in particular are very important because they correspond to our vision of bringing Baseball/Softball to a region were our sport is not dominant and thanks to Baseball5, we have been able to develop and meet new communities of young players.
“The presence of Mr. Iakovos Filippousis highlights the strong and growing connection between the Mediterranean sports community and the WBSC,” added President Fraccari.
The Secretary General of the ICMG thanked the WBSC for its invitation and confirmed that the technical commission of the Mediterranean Games had made a positive recommendation on Baseball5. “Baseball5 offers gender equality, essential for our Mediterranean countries but is also very dynamic, urban, fast and an ideal format for television.We are very optimistic that it can be a sport that integrates our permanent program in the future.”
The project to improve the place of Baseball5 at the Mediterranean Games is to establish a WBSC Mediterranean Union.
“Of the 26 countries participating in the Mediterranean Games, 16 are WBSC Members (Egypt, Tunisia, Syria, Turkey, croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Kosovo, Malta, Portugal, San Marino, Serbia, Slovenia and spain),” said WBSC Executive Director Michael Schmidt. “If we want to integrate the permanent program of the Mediterranean Games, we must make a good demonstration of it next summer in Taranto.”
Elliot Fleys, representative of the French Baseball and Softball Federation (FFBS) commented: “I believe that many countries play in the world, almost as much as softball now, it’s quite amazing for a young sport like this. It’s a new stage. I think it’s very critically important to have Baseball5 on the program of European sporting events.”
Spaniard Pablo Carpio added: “In our federation (Royal Spanish Baseball and Softball Federation, RFEBS), we are also improving our Baseball5 competitions. Our activity this year is more intense and we are keen about participating in these Mediterranean Games.”
“Seeing where we are today with Baseball5 and being on the program for the Youth Olympic Games next year shows the vision and future of this sport,” said Marco Mazzieri, President of the italian Baseball and Softball Federation (FIBS). “The fact that we are in Taranto for the Mediterranean Games with Baseball5 as a demonstration sport has led the Taranto authorities to build a new baseball field, on synthetic surface. This is a new demonstration of how Baseball5 and Baseball and Softball can develop together and contribute to the development of our sport.”
The President of the Greek Baseball and Softball Federation Kostis Liarommatis suggested that Baseball and Softball, after Baseball5, also integrate the program of the Mediterranean Games in the future.
“Frist of all, I woudl like to thank the WBSC for their help over the past few years.Last week we started our first school baseball5 project,” said Andrew Bajo, President of the Baseball and Softball Association of Malta. “I like the idea of the Mediterranean Games. I support it.”
The idea of organizing a Mediterranean Games was proposed during the 1948 Olympic Games by Muhammed Taher Pasha, President of the Egyptian Olympic Committee and Vice-President of the International olympic Committee (IOC), with the support of Ioannis Ketseas, a Greek member of the IOC.
The Games were first held in October 1951 in Alexandria, Egypt with 13 sports on the program. The first eleven editions were held the year before the Summer Olympic Games. As 1993, the Games have been held the year following the Olympic Games.
Oran (Algeria) organized the 19th edition in 2022.
Today 26 countries are competing in the Mediterranean Games:
Africa (5): Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia
Asia (2): Lebanon, Syria
Europe (19): Albania, Andorra, Bosnia, Croatia, Cyprus, france, Greece, Italy, Kosovo, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Portugal, San Marino, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey.
As mentioned above,Taranto,Italy will host the XX Mediterranean Games from August 21 to September 3,2026.
Pristina, Kosovo, will host the 21st edition from July 24 to August 4, 2030.
