Baseball is gaining traction in France, thanks to the enthusiasm of its licensed players. When the WBSC launched this sport in 2018, a presentation in France sparked immediate interest. Today, France is the reigning European champion and will compete in the World Cup.
Several initiatives in France show that the growth of baseball in the country is driven by Baseball5:
- The club with the most licensed players in France (Savigny) owes its success to Baseball5 licenses
- For the past three years, the FFBS has implemented a subsidy policy to help build Baseball5 fields. New fields are regularly popping up, much to the delight of the municipalities that host them: low cost, federal participation, and a urban sports movement that meets local political needs.
- Recently, the FFBS launched an INFRA plan for Baseball5, funded with a €50,000 budget from the National Sports Agency. The goal is to equip regional leagues that wish to have a portable field to organize events and tournaments, as the number of five-five events, including Regional Opens, has been growing since the resumption of activities post-Covid. The technical solution chosen was an inflatable structure, and the Federation has partnered with the company CAIRN to deploy this INFRA plan.
- It’s also a sport that will be featured in the next Youth Olympic Games. France hopes to have this sport recognized as a High-Level sport by the Ministry in 2022.
- Finally, Baseball5 complements the baseball offering throughout the year. As an indoor sport, it can fill the calendar without overshadowing other sports. The Opening Day might not be too far off, thanks to Baseball5 during the winter months.
Meanwhile, this weekend, January 22-23, the second edition of the Open de France will take place. Held in Montpellier, the event is divided into two categories: under-15s and over-16s. Matches will be played every half hour, with no fewer than 20 teams participating.
When will we see video broadcasts of these matches?
Follow the results on:
⚾️ 16+: here
🖐 15U: here
📸 Photo credit: Glenn Gervot / FFBS
