August 22, 2022
Presidents Riccardo Fraccari and Nayef Mohammed Bin Humaid met and agreed on using Baseball5 as a main development tool.
President Riccardo Fraccari welcomed Nayef Mohammed Bin Humaid, the Saudi Arabia Baseball and Softball Federation president, to the WBSC headquarters in Pully, Switzerland, on 9 August. President Bin Humaid was accompanied by Saudi Arabia Baseball and Softball Federation Chief Executive Officer Abdulrahman Alshehri.
The WBSC's Executive Director Michael Schmidt, Chief Operating Officer Marco Ienna, and Coach Commission Chair Marco Mazzieri and Commission member Andrea D'Auria also participated in the meeting.
Saudi Arabia's WBSC membership was approved by the Executive Board in June 2021 and ratified by the WBSC Congress on 4 July 2022.
Humaid highlighted the positioning of his organization on the general framework of the Saudi Vision 2030, a strategic framework to reduce Saudi Arabia's dependence on oil that includes the development of public service sectors such as health, education, recreation and tourism.
The baseball/softball governing body aims to increase sporting excellence and quality of life in Saudi Arabia through a well-established connection with the Sports Ministry, the Education Ministry and the School and University Federations.
The vision is to become the catalyst of baseball/softball development in the Middle East and the Arab world. Venues and the federation's new headquarters will be ready by 2026.
The WBSC provided details of the grassroots Baseball5 program in schools, which it is distributing around the world, while the WBSC Coaching Commission committed to submitting a Baseball5 development plan.
President Bin Humaid identified Baseball5 as an excellent way to engage youth and women in the sport of baseball and softball as well as attract sponsors connected with urban culture and youth lifestyle.
The WBSC and the Saudi Arabia Baseball and Softball Federation will discuss the possibility of a Baseball5 exhibition during the Saudi Games, scheduled from 27 October to 7 November in Riyadh.
Fraccari invited Humaid to attend the inaugural WBSC Baseball5 World Cup in Mexico and to consider hosting a Baseball5 Qualifier for the 2026 Youth Olympics.
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