Team Italy competes in WBSC Blind Baseball International Cup
The Blind Baseball International Cup is the first-ever blind baseball event sanctioned by the WBSC. The championship trophy and medals will have the name of the tournament and the inscription “Cup Champions” in both printed and braille text. The first edition of the international event will be held in Beek, the Netherlands on August 20 and 21, 2022.
Host the Netherlands will be joined by Germany and USA in Group A. Team Italy will compete in Group B with France and Great Britain. All games will be played for five innings. The top two finishers in each group will advance to the semifinals, and the winners of those games will clash for the WBSC Blind Baseball International Cup title. The opening round and the semifinals will take place on Saturday, August 20, 2022. The bronze medal game and the championship final will follow on Sunday, August, 21, 2022.
BLIND BASEBALL INTERNATIONAL CUP SCHEDULE AND RESULTS
AIBXC, THE GAME AND THE RULES IN ENGLISH
The WBSC in association with AIBXC, the Italian Blind Baseball Association, are lobbying to have the sport recognized by the International Paralympic Committee. AIBXC founded the first national blind baseball league in Italy. The organization now promotes the discipline worldwide. The AIBXC in conjunction with the Dutch Federation KNBSB are providing the technical management of the event as well as the equipment and qualified personnel.
Federazione Italiana Baseball Softball (FIBS) is also supporting the tournament by providing all the scorers and umpires as well as two Italian team selections that will play a demonstration game on Saturday, August 20, 2022 at 6:30 pm (local time).
Below is the list of players called up and the technical staff of the Italian national team:
LAST NAME | FIRST NAME | CLUB AFFILIATION | YEAR OF BIRTH | POSITION |
PLAYER | ||||
AZZARO | GIACOMO | Roma All Blinds | 1996 | DEFENDER SEEING |
BONOMO | GIANGIACOMO | Umbria Redskins | 1971 | IF |
DEDAJ | ARJOLA | Thunder's 5 Milano | 1981 | OF |
DEL CANTO | ANTONIO | Fiorentina BXC | 1982 | OF |
DIANE | SALIOU | Leonessa Brescia | 2003 | OF |
GHULAM | SARWAR | Leonessa Brescia | 1985 | IF |
GIRELLI | JUAN DAVID | Thunder's 5 Milano | 2003 | OF |
MENONI | BARBARA | Leonessa Brescia | 1977 | OF |
NAPOLI | GIORGIO | Fortitudo Bologna WS | 1983 | IF |
OLIVERI | DANNY | Umbria Redskins | 1990 | IF |
PARRAVANO | LUCA | Lampi Milano | 1970 | OF |
RADDIRI | RICHARD | I Patrini Malnate | 2001 | OF |
RINALDI | DENNY | Blind Fighters | 1995 | OF |
ROSAFIO | GIUSEPPE | I Patrini Malnate | 1982 | IF |
COACHES | ||||
AZZARO | FABIO | MANAGER | ||
ARGENTIERI | ANGEL | Fortitudo Bologna WS | COACH | |
BIANCHI | MICHELE | Leonessa Brescia | COACH | |
CHIESA | ADRIANO | Thunder's 5 Milano | COACH | |
CORAZZA | MARCO | Roma All Blinds | COACH | |
DI GIULIO | ILARIA | Fiorentina BXC | COACH | |
LANZARINI | LAURO | Fortitudo Bologna WS | COACH |
Below is the list of Italian Umpires and Scorers as well as the AIBxC staff members who will participate in the event:
LAST NAME | FIRST NAME | DRA/DRC | ROLE |
UMPIRES | |||
PASQUALI | CORRADO | Marche | UMPIRE DIRECTOR |
ALBERTON | CRISTINA | Lombardia | |
CASIRAGHI | BIANCAMARIA | Lombardia | |
TROMBONI | ROBERTA | Sardegna | |
VARGIU | GIOVANNI MARTINO | Sardegna | |
SCORERS | |||
MELI | ALESSANDRO | Emilia-Romagna | SCORERS DIRECTOR |
LUCIANI | LUCIANO | Marche | |
CARLETTI | ALBERTO | Lazio | STATISTICS |
AIBXC STAFF | |||
MAZZANTI | ALBERTO | PRESIDENT | |
MALAGUTI | STEFANO | DIRECTOR | |
BRANDI | PRISCILLA | ASSISTANT | |
TREVISAN | EVA | ASSISTANT |
Forza #Italia!
by Roberto Angotti
(Photo of the Blind Baseball International Cup medals that will be awarded courtesy of WBSC)