Virtus signs MOU with World Baseball Softball Confederation
Virtus – the International Sports Federation for Athletes with an Intellectual Impairment is delighted to announce that Virtus has signed the MOU with World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC).
Virtus and WBSC will now join forces and work towards the development and implementation of strategies and programmes to grow Baseball and Softball for people with an intellectual impairment.
Following this collaboration, the WBSC will now introduce a new intellectual impairment class as part of future Championships where possible to promote the inclusion of players with an intellectual impairment at World, Regional, National, and other competitions.
Virtus Executive Director Nick Parr, who will also be part of the Paralympic commission of WBSC which will oversee the activities said,
“Virtus is really pleased to embark on this new partnership with WBSC to grow baseball/softball for players with an intellectual impairment. We work closely with a number of International Sports Federations and this latest agreement represents an exciting new opportunity for us. ”
The WBSC Paralympic Commission listed the creation of a Baseball5 version for athletes with an intellectual impairment as one of the priorities among the objectives of the Strategic Plan 2022-2028.
“This MOU with VIRTUS marks a significant step in the WBSC’s continuous effort to grow baseball and softball and increase accessibility to our sport,” commented WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari.
“We are committed to seeking recognition by the IPC and have baseball/softball a sport on the programme of the Paralympic Games by Brisbane 2032″, he added.
With the addition of the WBSC, it will be the sixth International federation, including World Karate Federation, World Sailing, World Taekwondo, European Disabled Golf Association (EDGA) and Confédération Internationale Francophone Sport Adapté Culture (CIFSAC), with whom Virtus has partnerships to grow sports for athletes with an intellectual impairment.
