SIX NEW MEMBERS RECOMMENDED FOR SOFTBALL ASIA CONGRESS RATIFICATION

The Softball Asia Executive Committee approved six new affiliate-members at their 4^th Council meeting (2022-2026) today in Kuala Lumpur, for the Congress for ratification for admission at their Congress meeting tomorrow.

Softball Asia currently has 17 members namely, Bhutan, Brunei, China, Hong Kong China, India, Islamic Republic-of Iran, Iraq, Philippines, Malaysia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Chinese Taipei.

Datuk Low Beng Choo, Softball Asia President

The six new members to be endorsed by the Council are Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Nepal, Jordan and Syria.

The approval this morning was at the Council meeting, which was chaired by Softball Asia president, Datuk Low Beng Choo together with chairman, Pan Yi Chuan (Chinese Taipei), advisor Yutaka Miyake, first vice-president Taeko Utsugi (Japan), vice-presidents Y. Phainpanitporn (Thailand), KimEun Young (Korea), Patrick Ng Ka Kim (Hong Kong), Zhang Xuan (China), secretary-general, Sally Lim, chairman and advisors of various committees – competition and technical, umpires, scorers, coaching – Male athletes’ representative, Aloysius Ong and members at large and co-opted member.

Softball Asia chairman Pan Yi Chuan with his interpreter Chen Szu Yu

The meeting started with a welcome and opening address by Pan followed by Low.

Other matters discussed at the Council meeting today included:

# approval of the minutes of the 3^rd SA Exco meeting held on 7^th December 2023 in Kuala Lumpur

# approval of report of the president and secretary-general for the period 16th June 2022 to 31^st October 2024.

# approval of the Softball Asia receipts and expenditure account for the period 16th June 2022 to 31^st October 2024

# Discuss and approval of the Softball Asia calendar for 2025 and 2026.

# World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Congress in Bangkok in November, 2025

# Update on Softball Asia competition in the Asian Games in Aich-Nagoya, 19th Sept to Oct 4th 2026

# Update on Softball competition in the Olympics Games Los Angeles 2028

Umpires Committee member Rosli Ismail, Aloysius Ong, Male athletes representative and vice-president Y. Phainpanitporn

The meeting lasted two-and half hours and the Congress will convene tomorrow morning.

Softball Asia Executive Committee Council meeting in progress

Events and dates confirmed for 2025:

Youth U18 Baseball5 Asia Cup 2025 – March 11-15 (Taipei City)
WBSC-Softball Asia Seminars (for Technical Commissioners) – March 24-25 (Puli Nantou, Chinese Taipei)
U15 Women Softball Asia Cup 2025 – March 25-30 (Puli Nantou, Chinese Taipei)
U23 Men Softball Asia Cup 2025 – June 1-7 (Pattaya or Bangkok)
Women softball Asia Cup 2025 – July 10-20 (China)