Ten things to know about the WBSC Women's Softball World Cup Finals
The northeastern Italian County Friuli Venezia Giulia will become the first European Region to host the Women's Softball World Cup twice, and the impact on the territory will be relevant.
<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>Before 2023, the <a href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/organisation/wbsc-events/womens-softball-world-cup">WBSC Women's Softball World Cup</a> stopped in Europe (Haarlem, the Netherlands) only in 2014. In 2023, Dublin (Ireland), Valencia (Spain), Buttrio and Castions di Strada (Italy) hosted the XVII WBSC Women's Softball World Cup Group Stage. Friuli Venezia Giulia will become the first European Region to host the Women's Softball World Cup twice.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->
<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>Friuli Venezia Giulia, the north eastern Region hosting the <a href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2024-womens-softball-world-cup-finals/home">WBSC Women's Softball World Cup Finals</a>, is one of five regions in Italy with 'special statutes'.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->
<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>After the Second World War, Trieste was reclaimed by both Italy and Yugoslavia. It stayed under an Anglo-American administration from 1945 to 1953 and became part of the Republic of Italy only in 1954. The Region elected its first Governor in 1963.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->
<!-- wp:core-embed/youtube {"url":"https://youtu.be/9OO_jvXFBfA","type":"video","providerNameSlug":"youtube","className":"wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio"} -->
<figure class="wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://youtu.be/9OO_jvXFBfA
</div></figure>
<!-- /wp:core-embed/youtube -->
<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>Massimiliano Fedriga has been the Governor of Friuli Venezia Giulia since May 3, 2018. <br>"I believe the Women's Softball World Cup Finals represent a great chance to promote our region internationally," stated Fedriga through the Friuli Venezia Giulia official website. "We believe sports are tools to educate our youth to become better citizens."</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->
<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>The region is the title sponsor of the Women's Softball World Cup and contributed with a €300,000 grant to the renovation of the Castions di Strada Softball Stadium.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->
<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>At full capacity, the renovated softball stadium could accommodate the entire Castions di Strada population, including toddlers.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->
<!-- wp:ve30/twitter-iframe {"url":"https://www.twitter.com/WBSC/status/1812082293491871854"} -->
<blockquote class="wp-block-ve30-twitter-iframe twitter-tweet" allowtransparency="0" allowfullscreen frameborder="0" width="auto"><a href="https://www.twitter.com/WBSC/status/1812082293491871854"></a></blockquote>
<!-- /wp:ve30/twitter-iframe -->
<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>The pop group Elio e le Storie Tese, active since 1980, promoted the Women's Softball World Cup Finals during their concert in Palmanova on Friday, 12 July. Lead singer Stefano Belisari (Elio) and bass guitarist Nicola Fasani (Faso) are well-known baseball and softball advocates.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->
<!-- wp:html -->
<iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fphoto.php%3Ffbid%3D858602386301741%26set%3Da.858604546301525%26type%3D3&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="250" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe>
<!-- /wp:html -->
<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>Elio and Faso both played minor-league baseball for Ares Milan in Italy. Faso is, among other activities, a Major League Baseball colour commentator for Sky Italia. Elio co-authored former Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) pitcher Alessandro Maestri's biographic book <em>Lo chiamavano Maesutori</em>.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->
<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>Italian Baseball and Softball Federation (FIBS) President Andrea Marcon was born in Montreal, Canada but grew up in Castions di Strada. He had started playing baseball in Canada. Once in Castions di Strada, he realised the only baseball field was 20 kilometres away. The softball field was right downtown, which is how his softball career started. Marcon became an international umpire.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->
<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>The Netherlands finished fourth on home soil in 2015, the best result for a European programme to date.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->
<!-- wp:ve30/twitter-iframe {"url":"https://www.twitter.com/WBSC/status/1810177995501424903"} -->
<blockquote class="wp-block-ve30-twitter-iframe twitter-tweet" allowtransparency="0" allowfullscreen frameborder="0" width="auto"><a href="https://www.twitter.com/WBSC/status/1810177995501424903"></a></blockquote>
<!-- /wp:ve30/twitter-iframe -->