Batter up!
Tuoi Tre reports that last weekend, the Vietnam Baseball Softball Federation (VBSF) came into existence after a meeting in Hanoi. The VBSF will focus on developing both baseball and softball in Vietnam and also take the lead on training for international competitions.
While the two sports are still relatively unknown here, they do have a history. According to the news source, Vietnam's oldest baseball organization is the Hanoi Teenager Baseball Club, which was created in August 2008.
In 2009, the club sent a U-11 team to a tournament in Jakarta, and it now sends both baseball and softball teams to the United States for annual competitions.
The Ho Chi Minh City Baseball Association, meanwhile, formed in 2011. That same year, Vietnam sent its first baseball team to the Southeast Asia Games, while its U-12 team became regional champion at the Pony Youth Baseball Tournament in Seoul.
Additionally, the VBSF will work to increase the popularity of baseball and softball among students, and push for the inclusion of five-person baseball in the school curriculum.
The federation hopes to eventually push Vietnam onto the medal podium at the SEA Games, and potentially even the Olympics, as both sports are included in the Tokyo Olympics expected to take place this year.
