TAIPEI, Taiwan, July 02, 2022 – Taiwan is set to welcome its first international sporting event following the outbreak of COVID-19. Over 200 delegates from 138 countries will be attending the 4th World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) and Baseball Federation of Asia (BFA) Congress from July 3 to 5, 2022, at the Taipei Marriott Hotel. With support from government agencies and hosted by the Chinese Taipei Baseball Association (CTBA), the Congress is Taiwan’s first and largest post-pandemic event as the nation regains its footing on the international stage.
The spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has caused major international tournaments or events to be called off or postponed since Taiwan hosted the WBSC Premier 12 in 2019. To ensure the smooth operation of events, CTBA worked with the Central Epidemic Command Center, Sports Administration of the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as well as National Immigration Agency of the Ministry of the Interior to implement a special travel scheme. All the delegates are required to present a negative PCR test upon arrival and use rapid tests throughout their stay.
The highlight of the event is the elective congress of BFA and WBSC which will take place on July 3 and 5. WBSC’s incumbent president Riccardo Fraccari is up for re-election at the Congress. CTBA Chairman Jeffrey J.L. Koo, Jr. will vie for the positions of BFA President and First Vice Chairman of the WBSC Baseball Division Board.
When Jeffrey L.S. Koo, the founder of CTBC Bank, served as the Ambassador-at-large of the Republic of China, he established friendships with foreign dignitaries through golf in the international arena. Inheriting this spirit, Chairman Jeffrey J.L. Koo, Jr. has been augmenting Taiwan’s international visibility through international baseball exchanges while consolidating Taiwan’s core position in the baseball world.
In late May 2022, Chairman Jeffrey J.L. Koo, Jr. was re-elected as the 13th chairman of CTBA. After taking office in 2018, he facilitated the formation of Taiwan’s national team, Chinese Taipei, which won a total of six championships. Currently, Taiwan has been ranked second in the world baseball rankings. This year, CTBA will host WBSC Congress for the first time, as well as hold the U-12 Baseball World Cup in Tainan in July and U-23 Baseball World Cup in October.