The Prince Albert bid committee is hoping its reputation can help secure the World Cup following the successful hosting of the 2018 World Juniors. (file photo/paNOW Staff)

By Jeff D’Andrea

Working to get on the world stage

P.A. forging ahead with bid process for delayed World Cup of Softball

Mar 28, 2021 | 8:00 AM

Despite delays, restructuring, and changes caused by the pandemic, Prince Albert will continue their push to be the hosts of the Senior Men’s World Cup of Softball.

Felix Casavant, one of the co-chairs of the 2018 World Junior Championship Legacy Committee, gave an update to the City of Prince Albert during a council meeting earlier in the week.

Casavant said the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), the governing body that oversees the world softball championships, made a lot of changes to their tournament structures and how bids will work.

The World Cup of Softball, which was originally scheduled for 2024, will be pushed back a year to 2025. There will also only be eight teams competing in the World Cup this year, cut down from the usual 12. This will be done with a new qualifying tournament format, with qualifiers running in 2022, 2023, and 2024, to ensure the best eight teams make it to the World Cup.

“Our committee is ready to go as and when we are awarded the event,” Casavant said.

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Due to all the changes, the WBSC will ask for the Prince Albert committee to resubmit their bid and will look over it this July. Casavant expects to hear a decision by the fall.

Australia won the 2018 Junior Men’s World Softball Championships. File photo/paNOW Staff

Along with Derek Smith, Casavant was co-chair for the 2018 WBSC World Junior Men’s Championships at the Max Power Ball Park. The whole area received a big facelift to be able to host the world championships, including enhancements to the diamonds themselves, the bleachers, the parking lot, and the trail that runs around Prime Ministers’ Park.

According to Casavant, members of the WBSC who attended the tournament asked when Prince Albert would be bidding for another event.

Mayor Greg Dionne said that the “legacy” left behind by that tournament has made a big impact, as more and more tournaments came to the city before the pandemic.

Councillor Dennis Ogrodnick attended the tournament, and said it was more than just a success.

“It was a magical moment, I think, for our city,” Ogrodnick said.

Ogrodnick talked to people at the tournament, including parents of some of the players on visiting teams from the Czech Republic and South Africa. He said the visitors “could not believe” how well suited the ballparks were for a world tournament.

“That made me really proud that our community was able to host such an event and brag about our facilities, and show off our facilities to the world,” Ogrodnick said.

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Jeff.dandrea@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW