FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 08, 2003

GAME SCHEDULE RELEASED FOR VII
JR. WOMEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Fourteen Teams Competing in October Event in China

The competition schedule for the International Softball Federation’s (ISF) VII Jr. Women’s World Championship is now final with today’s announcement by the sport’s world governing body. The event will take place October 12-20 in Nanjing, China, marking the first time that China has ever hosted a world softball championship.

For the method of competition, a two-section, single round robin will be played, culminating in a double-page playoff. The main venue for the competition will be the brand new stadium on the Pukou campus of the Nanjing University of Technology. ISF President Don Porter was a part of the dedication ceremony last month for the facility, which he called “first class.” The 2.2 million (U.S.) dollar venue’s first event will be this world championship, and will continue to flourish in a country where softball continues to grow by leaps and bounds (13 months ago their women’s national team qualified for its third straight Olympics). The stadium at Nanjing University of Technology will also be host to the softball competition at the China National Games in 2005. The venue has a seating area covered by a unique shape, a scoreboard with message capabilities, state-of-the-art stadium lights, and came with many other supporting amenities, including two nearby practice fields, a technical/administration building, and a new hotel on the campus grounds.

The event will begin with Opening Ceremonies in the stadium on Sunday, October 12 at 11:00 a.m. Breaking in the diamond to start play following that will be the host team against the Philippines. A total of 42 games will take place in round robin play, concluding with China taking on Australia on Thursday the 16th at 7 p.m.

See the full schedule >>

The Jr. Women’s World Championship is a 19-and-under competition played once every four years. The last event, in 1999, took place in Taipei, Taiwan, and was won by Japan. The United States won the silver medal and the host country won the bronze medal.

The International Softball Federation is the world governing body of the sport as recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the General Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF). Softball (women's fast pitch) made its Olympic debut at the 1996 Games in Atlanta. There are 124 affiliated countries in the ISF and millions of participants in the sport worldwide.

For more information, please contact ISF Director of Communications Bruce Wawrzyniak at brucew@internationalsoftball.com or (813) 864-0100, ext. 229.