Europe will host two qualifications for baseball and softball tournaments at the Tokyo Olympics `, 20, the World Confederation (WBSC) decided. On the Old Continent, there will be a round-off for the male and female discipline of the American game, which returns to the Olympic family after 12 years of absence. The first official Olympic qualification for men will be in Italy from 18 to 22 September. It will feature teams from the Top 5 European Baseball Championships in Germany earlier that month and the champion of Africa. The six teams will argue in Bologna and Parma for a quota for Tokyo.
In the Netherlands, the first qualification for women will be played. From July 23 to 28 in Utrecht, eight teams will also fight for one quota;those in the Top 6 of Euro `19 in the Czech Republic and Poland in the beginning of the same month and the first two of the African championship.
Both in baseball and softball will be held two intercontinental qualifications for the Olympic tournaments, for which six teams will be ranked in total. The host Japan has a place in both races. For women, their visa for Tokyo has already stamped the US team, which won the world title of the world championship in Japan `
A slight change has occurred in the regulation of the World Championship for Men `Premier 12`, which will be held in November in four countries -;group stage in Taiwan, Korea and Mexico and finals in Japan. In principle, two Olympic quotas must be played -one for America`s top-ranked team and one for Asia / Oceania`s top-ranked team. At a meeting in Rome yesterday, however, the WBSC decided that if no Asian-Australian team came into the Top 6 of Premier 12, this quota would be transferred to the final world qualification in April 2020 atthe Taiwanese capital Taipei.
TOKYO `20
Baseball
Europe / Africa Italy (18-22 September 2019) 6 teams / 1 quota
`Premier 12` Japan (11)(April 2020) 6 teams / 1 quota *
US team (March 2020) 8 teams / 1 quota
Final team Taiwan (April 2020) 6 teams / 1 quota *
Softball
Europe / Africa Netherlands (23-28 July 2019) 8 teams / 1 quota
America Canada (25. VIII-1 IX. 2019) 16 teams / 2 quotas
Asia / Oceania China (24-29 September 2019) 8 teams / 1 quota
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* Depending on the Asia / Oceania teams` presentation at the World Cup, one quota of`Premier 12` canbe transferred in the final by footballcapper qualification.