Softball teams from eleven countries worldwide are preparing for the seventh World Masters Games being held October 10, which the BackSoftball campaign hopes will promote the sport’s inclusion in the 2016 Summer Olympic Games.
About 2,500 male and female elite, competitive and recreational standard softball players ages 35+ and 45+ are expected to take part in the competition, the second largest event at this year’s Games.
As well as from Australia, there will be teams from Austria, Botswana, Canada, Indonesia, Japan, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and the USA.
Shane O’Leary, Chief Executive Officer of the Sydney 2009 World Masters Games Organizing Committee said, “softball is one of the largest sport competitions on the World Masters Games program and we are pleased with the large numbers of softballers who have registered for the Games.
“With over 200 teams competing in the Sydney 2009 World Masters Games, it will arguably be the largest softball competition ever held in Australia, if not the world”.
According to a press release the World Masters Games are open to people of all abilities and most ages with organizers expecting 29,000 athletes from more than 100 countries competing in 28 sports at more than 70 venues throughout Sydney.
