The President of the International Baseball and Softball Federation (WBSC) Riccardo Fraccari praised the success of the 2023 WBSC eBASEBALL™ Series World Finals which were held on Saturday March 9, 2024 in Lausanne, Switzerland.
After an exciting morning with the group stage, the Japanese SHORA got the better of his compatriot Fujito in the final in front of an engaged crowd and was crowned WBSC eBASEBALL™ Series World Champion. He also won the Olympic eSport Week eBASEBALL™ tournaments in 2021 and the Olympic eSport Series in 2023, respectively.
President Fraccari attended the Finals which was the first eSports event to be held at the Olympic Museum and presented the trophy to the Japanese eBASEBALL™ super star. He highlighted the excellent competition organized in Lausanne, the positive feedback from the audience and the importance of eBASEBALL™ as the WBSC continues to reach out to younger generations and new fans.
President Fraccari said: “The WBSC eBASEBALL™ World Finals were a key moment for our organization as it was the first time we organized such an event, and the first time eSports finals were held at the Olympic Museum. We firmly believe that the inclusion of eSports in our baseball-softball family will help us attract new fans, particularly among the younger generation, as we look to continue to grow our sport internationally.
“I would like to thank our publisher KONAMI for its continued support and our partnership as well as our partner, the city of Lausanne, the Lausanne Capitale Olympique Foundation and our host, the Olympic Museum, and of course the International Olympic Committee who all guaranteed success of this event.
“Congratulations to SHORA on their victory and the title of World Champion. All of our finalists performed admirably during the competition and gave us a lot of emotion today, demonstrating their abilities in front of an enthusiastic crowd. SHORA, you have a bright future, especially when you can defend your title this year at the WBSC ePremier12™ which will bring together the 12 best players in the world, a parallel to the flagship competition of the WBSC, the Premier12.
“From April a new adventure begins with the WBSC eBASEBALL™ Series 2024, a series of events with a common goal, to qualify for the ePremier12™. I invite everyone to follow and participate in this new year of gaming and I wish the best to all players around the world who are passionate about WBSC eBASEBALL™ POWER PROS.
“It is early in our eSports journey but it is an exciting process and I am confident that the WBSC will continue to play a leadership role within the Olympic Movement in this area.”
IOC Sports Director Kit McConnell, Lausanne Olympic Capital Foundation Director Sébastien Griesmar, ASOIF President Francesco Ricci Bitt and KONAMI International Business Development Manager Shinji Namekawa joined President Fraccari to attend the WBSC eBASEBALL™ Series 2023 World Finals at the Olympic Museum.
President Fraccari and Mr Namekawa are members of the IOC eSports Commission.
2024-03-13 01:00:00
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