BASEBALL/Jeffrey Koo Jr. seeks WBSC vice presidency to boost Asian baseball

Taipei, Oct. 15 (CNA) Baseball Federation of Asia (BFA) President Jeffrey Koo Jr. (辜仲諒) will seek re-election as executive vice president of the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) on Saturday, aiming to raise Asian baseball's global profile and expand grassroots development, the BFA said Wednesday.

Since taking office in 2022, Koo has spearheaded initiatives to grow the sport across Asia, including establishing the Southeast Asia Baseball Development and Training Center in Thailand and the Asian Women's Baseball Training Base in Hangzhou, China.

He also visited the United Arab Emirates to explore opportunities to develop baseball in West Asia as part of his "Asian Major League" initiative, the BFA said.

Koo said "unity" lies at the heart of Asian baseball culture and vowed to continue integrating regional resources to enhance competitiveness and showcase "Asian Power" on the global stage.

The Thailand training center has become a key hub for regional development, hosting the 2023 East Asia Baseball Cup, this year's Asian Women's Baseball Championship qualifiers and the upcoming Southeast Asian Games baseball tournament in December.

Bangkok will also host the 6th WBSC Ordinary Congress later this week, while the inaugural Guali Cup Asian Women's City Baseball League was held in Hangzhou in July, the statement said.