(Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail)
Czechia and Netherlands Set for Softball Warm-Up Series Ahead of World Cup
World No. 10 Czechia women’s national softball team and No. 6 Netherlands women’s national softball team will face each other in a four-match friendly series in Prague from May 19 to May 21 as both sides prepare for the WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup Group Stage 2026.
The series is part of both teams’ preparations for the upcoming international tournament, where they will compete against some of the world’s top-ranked softball nations.
World Cup Preparation
The friendly series comes ahead of the WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup Group Stage later this year.
Czechia will host Group Prague from June 16 to 20, where they will face teams including Canada, Chinese Taipei, Italy, Australia, and Cuba.
Meanwhile, the Netherlands will compete in Group Oklahoma City from September 12 to 16, taking on strong opponents such as the United States, Mexico, China, New Zealand, and South Africa.
The tournament also serves as an important qualification pathway for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, with top-performing teams earning a place at the Olympic stage.
Friendly Series Schedule
- May 19: Czechia vs Netherlands – 6:30 PM – Svoboda Park
- May 20: Netherlands vs Czechia – 4:00 PM & 7:00 PM – Eagles Praha Field
- May 21: Czechia vs Netherlands – 11:00 AM – Svoboda Park
All matches will be broadcast live on ČT sport Plus and streamed on the Czech Softball YouTube channel.
Recent Meetings
The two teams last met at the 2025 Women’s European Championship in Prague, where the Netherlands secured a narrow victory in a tightly contested match.
They also played a friendly series in 2024, which the Netherlands won, adding extra anticipation to this latest encounter.
Both teams will use this series to fine-tune their squads and test strategies ahead of the global tournament later this year.
