Riccardo Fraccari re-elected at helm of WBSC

Lausanne, July 6 (WBSC) - Italian Riccardo Fraccari was re-elected as head of the World Baseball and Softball Confederation (WBSC) during the entity's congress hosted by Taiwan.

Fraccari, who will lead for the 2022-2028 term, beat fellow challenger Didier Seminet of France, who received 43 votes, with 100 votes. The voting delegates numbered 144 and the required majority was 73.

The congress also confirmed secretary general Beng Choo Low (Malaysia) and treasurer Angelo Vicini (San Marino), reports the official WBSC website.

Low received 121 votes, while Tommy Velázquez (Puerto Rico) received 13. Vicini got 101 votes to Marc Morea (South Africa), who finished with 41.

"Baseball and softball have become one of the largest and best organized movements in the sports world," said Italy's Fraccari.

"Not many other sports can boast such a large movement, from youth to professional, including urban sports such as baseball5, esports and our new virtual cup," he stressed.

The head of the Cuban federation of this sport, Juan Reinaldo Pérez Pardo, highlighted in his Twitter account that "we are very proud of the re-election of the Italian as president of the World Baseball-Softball Confederation."

"Fraccari feels a special affection for Cuba and we will be eternally grateful for the sincere ties of friendship," he said.

The executive also congratulated Cuban Leonardo Cárdenas Perera, a world softball legend, for being inducted into the WBSC Hall of Fame.

A native of Caibarién, in Villa Clara, the current manager of the Cuban softball team is considered to be the best Cuban torpedo player of all time.