Taichung, which staged the 2013 Under-18 Baseball World Cup, was named host city of the new Under-21 Baseball World Cup, which will see 12 countries competing from November 7 to 16.

Nishinomiya will play host to the Under-18 Baseball World Cup in 2015, with the historic Koshien Stadium as the tournament's central hub.

Built in 1924, the stadium is the oldest ball park in Japan and one of the nation's most recognisable sporting venues.

The Koshien Stadium will be the centre-piece of the 2015 Under-18 Baseball World Cup which was awarded to Japan by WBSC International executives ©The Asahi Shimbun/Getty Imges


The World Cup will then travel to Thunder Bay, Canada, as International Baseball executives declared member federation Baseball Canada as host of the 28th edition of the Under-18 event in 2017.

Baseball Canada successfully delivered the 2010 Baseball World Cup in Thunder Bay and had also given strong bids for the 2013 and 2015 editions.

Following the announcements, WBSC co-President Riccardo Fraccari said: "The bids presented were exceptional, and I am fully confident these Baseball World Cups will be in excellent hands and serve as worldwide platforms for the athletes to shine and proudly wear their national teams' jerseys.

"Securing such high-quality hosts for our events is a key indicator of baseball and softball's global appeal, popularity and development, and of the lasting legacy and value returned to the host communities in various countries."

Baseball Canada was awarded the 2017 Under-18 Baseball World Cup and have announced Thunder Bay as the official host city via social media network Twitter ©Twitter


During the meeting in the Czech Republic's capital city Prague, the International Baseball executives also voted to grant national teams the option to include a limited number - maximum of three participating in a match at any given time - of under-23 players on their under-21 Baseball World Cup rosters, in order to include and connect with an even broader range of young athletes in the Baseball World Cups.

Since 2009, baseball and softball world championships have been held in 20 countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania and North, South and Central America, and include Argentina, Canada, Chinese Taipei, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Japan, Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, Panama, South Africa, Sweden, United States and Venezuela.

"International Baseball properties - our Baseball World Cups - and National Team sanctioned competitions, from youth to elite, continue to grow into global commodities, which will further build, position and promote the National Team brands of our members, thus driving the growth of our events over the long-term," said Fraccari.

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