The Italian Baseball Association for the Blind is now an associate World Baseball Softball Confederation member ©AIBxC

The Italian Baseball Association for the Blind (AIBxC) has been approved as an associate World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) member by the global body's Executive Board.

The Cape Verde Baseball Softball Federation (FCVBS) was additionally approved as a full member by the WBSC Executive Board.

Both applications will be put to the next WBSC Congress for ratification.

Already recognised by the Cape Verde Olympic Committee, the FCVBS is now the 198th national governing body to become a WBSC member, while the AIBxC is the WBSC's 13th associate member.

The AIBxC, founded in 1994, is one of the world's foremost baseball for the blind organisations and the top Italian league features 11 teams.

The Cape Verde Baseball Softball Federation is recognised by the country's National Olympic Committee ©Getty Images
The Cape Verde Baseball Softball Federation is recognised by the country's National Olympic Committee ©Getty Images

The AIBxC designed an introductory course aimed at acquainting national governing bodies with baseball for the blind that was added to WBSC Academy last month.

Italy also won the 2019 Mole's Cup - an international baseball tournament for visually-impaired players.

"We really believe that an official cooperation agreement can be the right way to spread this discipline in all countries and raise awareness about the fact that baseball for the blind represents a powerful tool for physical and psychological rehabilitation with important benefits for self-reliance of visually impaired people in their everyday life, as well as an important means for social inclusion," AIBxC President Alberto Mazzanti said.