|
;)
Italy's Riccardo Fraccari has been elected as the first
ever sole President of the World Baseball Softball Confederation
(WBSC).
Fraccari was elected at the inaugural congress of the WBSC which was held
in Tunisia. The Italian helped form the WBSC and was an interim co-President
alongside softball's Don Porter.
He will now serve as the lone President of the WBSC for an initial seven
year term, through to 2021.
The Congress in the North African city of Hammamet, also elected their
first executive board who are tasked with formulating short and long term
growth plans for the young federation.
The initial election term, which applies to the entire WBSC Executive
Board, was extended beyond 2020 by the Congress in Hammamet ahead of the
elections, in order to better guarantee the new president and board a
sufficient time frame with which to formulate/implement a mid- and long-term
growth plan for the young international federation that is now challenged
with overseeing a truly global and fortified baseball-softball movement that
possesses an estimated sixty million athletes and hundreds of millions of
fans.
Fraccari said: "I am tremendously honoured to be entrusted by my
peers to lead the WBSC. This role comes with an unprecedented level of
responsibility and commitment it's an exciting and historic time, a 'new
era', for baseball and softball."
"I can already feel the weight of my shoulders."
Fraccari also praised Porter's contribution to the organisation.
"President Porter's historic contributions leave an invaluable legacy
that will forever be a part of softball and both the birth and growth of the
WBSC," he said.
"I admire President Porter, and I plan to honour and help expand upon
what he has built and all of us will continue to count on him to share his
advice and knowledge."
|
