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Español
-- Argentina
defends its title and secures only the second softball world championship
for South America
WHITEHORSE,
YK, Canada -- Argentina has defended its title at the ten-nation U-19 Men's
Youth Softball World Championship, defeating New Zealand, 9-0, in the gold
medal final, after 10 days of world-class softball. (See photos 1, 2, and 3.)
With
the victory, Argentina brings only the second softball world championship
title to South America, after winning the first title at the 2012 U-19
Men's Softball World Championship in front of the home crowd in Argentina.
The New
Zealand "Black Sox" will take the silver medal back to Oceania,
while Japan -- who fell to Argentina in the semifinals, in a battle that
went into extra-innings -- will take home the bronze. (*See final standings
below.)
For New
Zealand, it was the first time since 1997 that the Black Sox had advanced
all the way to the championship final, after having defeated neighbour Australia
in the semifinal.
"Congratulations
to Argentina on retaining the world title and congratulations to the city
of Whitehorse for delivering a very successful world championship,"
said WBSC Executive Vice President Dale McMann. "This special event
not only highlights the depth of WBSC's sport disciplines to engage and
promote young athletes, but also shows the growing global presence of our
sport, especially with countries like Argentina now firmly solidifying
South America, and Australia and New Zealand in Oceania competing at
world-class levels."
The
U-19 Men's Softball World Championship is celebrated every two years, and
the next edition will be hosted by Midland, Michigan, USA.
The
U-19 world championship event was the showpiece National Team competition
in baseball and softball, which concluded this past weekend and featured a
total of 54 games.
At the
continental level, world baseball No. 18 Nicaragua was crowned the Under-12
Boy's Pan-American Baseball Champion with a victory over No. 1 USA in
Mazatlán, Mexico. In Europe, host Czech Republic defeated Denmark in the
final of the European Men's Softball Championship, and the U-19 Girl's
Softball European Championship opens up today in 's-Hertogenbosch,
Netherlands.
The WBSC's 2014 world
championship calendar continues with the elite U-15 Baseball World Cup,
which will bring together eighteen nations to Sinaloa, Mexico, followed by
the Women's Softball World Championship in Haarlem, Netherlands beginning
August 15.
*U-19
Men's World Championship Final Standings
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1.
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Argentina
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2.
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New Zealand
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3.
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Japan
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4.
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Australia
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5.
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USA
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6.
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Mexico
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7.
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Canada
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8.
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Czech Republic
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9.
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Denmark
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10.
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Singapore
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