(Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail)
Top 10 Facts About Softball at The World Games 2025 in Chengdu
The World Games 2025 in Chengdu, China will feature thrilling men’s and women’s softball tournaments, drawing global attention to this high-energy sport. With eight teams in each category, softball promises to be one of the most anticipated competitions of the multi-sport event.
Here are 10 must-know facts about the softball action at The World Games 2025:
1. 🗓️ Longest Event in The Schedule
Softball will run for a total of 10 days, making it the longest sport in the World Games 2025 program.
-
Men’s tournament: 6–10 August
-
Women’s tournament: 13–17 August
It will also be one of the first sports to begin, even before the Opening Ceremony.
2. 🔥 Historic Torch Relay
The first-ever World Games torch relay took place on 26 July 2025, traveling through the Sichuan cities of Chengdu, Deyang, and Meishan.
Key locations included:
-
Sanxingdui Museum
-
Jinsha Site Museum
-
Chengdu Panda Research Base
-
Xinglong Lake Wetland Park
3. 🏛️ Softball’s Legacy in The World Games
Both baseball and softball have deep roots in the International World Games Association (IWGA), established in 1980.
They were founding members, making their presence in 2025 a continuation of tradition.
4. 🌍 Qualified Teams
🧢 Men’s Teams
-
Qualified via ranking: Argentina, Australia, Japan, Canada, Venezuela, USA
-
Wild cards: Singapore, Czechia
🧢 Women’s Teams
-
Qualified via ranking: USA, Japan, Puerto Rico, Chinese Taipei, Netherlands, Canada
-
Host/Wild card: China (host), Australia (wild card)
5. 🥎 Softball’s Return
-
Women’s softball is appearing for the fourth time after 1981, 1985, and 2022 editions.
-
Men’s softball returns after 44 years, last featured in Santa Clara 1981.
6. ⚾ Tournament Format
Teams are divided into two groups of four.
-
Top two teams from each group move to the semifinals.
-
Semifinal winners will play in the gold medal game.
7. 📈 Rising Popularity
Softball was one of the most watched sports at The World Games 2022 (Birmingham), setting attendance records for both the full tournament and individual games.
It also featured one of the youngest athlete age averages, at 25 years.
8. 🇺🇸 Nations in Both Categories
Only four countries are participating in both men’s and women’s events:
-
Australia
-
Canada
-
Japan
-
USA
9. 🏆 USA Eyes Fourth Gold
The USA women’s team is undefeated in The World Games, having won gold in all three editions.
-
Can they keep the streak alive?
-
If Japan wins, they will achieve the triple crown: World Games, Olympics, and World Cup.
10. 🏟️ Venue & Finals
All 40 games will be played at the Xindu Better City Softball Arena.
-
Men’s final: 10 August at 13:00 (local time)
-
Women’s final: 17 August at 12:30 (local time)
📢 Both finals are already sold out!
📺 Don’t Miss It
Catch the action live and enjoy every inning of the most exciting softball competition of the year!
Stay tuned to official World Games channels and streaming platforms for match updates, highlights, and results.
