Japan won the softball tournament at Tokyo 2020 and the nation's under-18 team are ranked number one in the world ©Getty Images

The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) has announced another date change for the Under-18 Softball World Cup in Peru.

The inaugural tournament is now due to be played from December 6 to 12 - having initially been set for 2020 but now delayed three times.

The 16-team women's youth championship had been originally scheduled to take place August 23 to 30 last year in capital city Lima, prior to it being delayed due to COVID-19.

Matches were then changed to be played from March 27 to April 4 this year, then August 28 to September 5, and now the December window.

Players who would have been eligible in 2020 but are now over 18 years of age will be allowed to compete in the postponed competition.

All of the top 10 nations in the WBSC rankings have qualified for the event, which is set to be held at the Villa María del Triunfo Sports Complex.

The United States won the women's softball tournament at the 2019 Pan American at the venue set to stage the Under-18 World Cup ©Getty Images
The United States won the women's softball tournament at the 2019 Pan American at the venue set to stage the Under-18 World Cup ©Getty Images

The venue also staged the softball tournament at the 2019 Pan American Games.

The Under-18 World Cup replaces the event formerly known as the Junior Women's Softball World Championship and then the Under-19 Women's Softball World Cup.

It had been been held biennially since 2011, and prior to that it was contested once every four years.

First held in 1981, the United States are the most successful team with seven gold medals out of a possible 13.

Japan follow with five victories and China are the only team to have won the competition, in 1985.