BASEBALL/2026 Asian U18 baseball final set for Taipei Dome

Taipei, Sept. 4 (CNA) The championship game of the 2026 BFA U18 Baseball Championship will be played at Taipei Dome, as part of the first international U18-level baseball tournament held at the venue, the Chinese Taipei Baseball Association (CTBA) said Friday.

The 14th edition of the tournament will run from next Monday to Sept. 13, bringing together eight Asian teams to compete for the continental title and qualification for the 2027 U18 Baseball World Cup, the CTBA said in a press statement.

Opening-round games will be played at Tianmu Baseball Stadium and Xinzhuang Baseball Stadium before the tournament moves to Taipei Dome for the Super Round, third-place game and final.

Taiwan will seek to defend its title on home soil after defeating Japan 6-1 in the 2024 final to win the championship for the first time in 17 years.

That victory gave Taiwan its third Asian U18 title. This year's squad will attempt to secure the country's first back-to-back championships and fourth title overall.

Yang Hsiao-cheng (楊孝承), head coach of Ku Pao Home Economics & Commercial High School, will serve as manager of the 18-player roster.

For most of the players, reaching the final stage would also mean playing at the approximately 40,000-seat indoor stadium for the first time, the statement said.

To promote the tournament, the exterior wall of the Taipei Dome complex will feature rotating displays of players' jersey numbers and event graphics from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. each day during the competition.

Fans are encouraged to take photographs at the venue and share them on social media with designated hashtags for a chance to win a jersey signed by the entire Taiwan squad.