France continues to rise in the Baseball5 world rankings. The French teams will be seen as favorites in upcoming international competitions (European Championship and Junior World Cup scheduled for the end of the year).
This ranking was only launched at the beginning of 2023.
Being second between Chinese Taipei and Japan is a fantastic achievement. However, they must hold this position and not make the same mistake as Cuba, who dropped five spots to sixth. Meanwhile, Tunisia climbed four places to fourth. Other European teams include Lithuania (7th), Italy (11th), and the Netherlands (15th).
Can France reach the top spot? It’s mathematically possible and will first require excellent results in the next two competitions, especially by defending their European Championship title. They’ll also need Chinese Taipei to suffer a few losses.
Many countries that hadn’t yet embraced this new sport are now stepping up. Uruguay, Mexico, Haiti, and Turkey are increasing their commitment. There’s also talk about the Olympic potential of this sport. While baseball, not being included in Paris 2024 (though it will be in Los Angeles), isn’t yet an official Olympic sport, Baseball5 has strong prospects, especially as it’s part of the Youth Olympic Games program. It also fits within the global Olympic movement’s ‘let’s move’ program.
