Nations Compete at 2014 ISF/ISSA World Tournament of Champions

At the conclusion of 41 games, USA Ink Daddyz defeated the national team from Great Britain, 18-3 to claim the Gold Medal. USA Fort Walton Beach claimed Bronze.

“This event definitely underlines the growing value, visibility and the passion softball athletes around the world have for representing their countries on the international stage,” said WBSC co-President Don Porter.

This marked the first time that Bulgaria, Curacao, France, and Turks and Caicos have participated in the Co-Ed Slow Pitch Softball World Cup. Team VPD from Canada, who played in the 2013 World Fire and Police Games in Belfast, Northern Ireland, rounded out the field of teams.

“This mixed World Cup reinforces the power of sport to encourage and inspire gender equity, teamwork, cooperation, mutual respect, friendship, education and social change—and I am particularly proud that softball is being used as such a vehicle across both genders and across all ages in a growing number of countries,” Porter remarked.

In terms of global participation, slow pitch softball is one of the most popular disciplines among baseball/softball, as many athletes eventually migrate from other baseball/softball disciplines to slow pitch, with an estimated 40 million athletes participating, either recreationally or in organised competition, in over 140 countries, according to WBSC’s latest figures.

The successful delivery and athlete-experience of the 2014 Co-Ed Slow Pitch Softball World Cup, in addition to the accessibility and ease for new athletes to learn and be introduced to a discipline such as slow pitch softball, has boosted the event’s future prospects.

The positive outcome in Plant City and the growing international interest from both National Federations and clubs has led to the affirmative decision that the event will be organised and celebrated annually.

Athletes Compete in Senior (Aged 50+) Slow Pitch Softball Tournament of Champions

Men’s Softball Tournament of Champions (TOCs) in six age categories attracted over eighty teams and 1,600 athletes over the age of 50. The TOCs were organised alongside the main event in Plant City.

“As we have seen here by the performance of over 1,600 ‘golden-aged’ athletes, softball -- especially the slow pitch discipline -- is a very viable and attractive option to promote and sustain health, well-being, physical activity and social interaction, as well as to inspire future generations, well into our senior years,” expressed Porter.

2014 Co-Ed Slow Pitch Softball Club World Cup Final Standings:

Gold: USA – Ink Daddyz

Silver: Great Britain National Team

Bronze: USA – Fort Walton Beach

4th: Curacao – SBAB

5th: France – AS BREVANNES

6th: Turks and Caicos

7th: Canada – Team VPD

8th: Bulgaria