The Italian Blind Baseball Association (AIBxC) is one of the discipline's leading organisations and the team it sent to Dutch city Beek emerged victorious.

Italy beat Britain 10-0 in the Blind Baseball International Cup final while the United States defeated Germany 4-1 in the battle for the bronze medal.

In the opening match of the tournament, Italy and Britain had played out a 0-0 tie.

The Netherlands and France also took part n the six-team tournament, finishing bottom of their respective groups.

Britain beat the US 3-2 in the semi-finals and the Italians were 6-0 victors over Germany.

The tournament came about following an AIBxC programme in blind baseball being set up in Beek in October last year.

Coaches trained by the AIBxC held a clinic on May 7, and 12 of the 16 players to take part went on to become members of the first Dutch blind baseball team.

Don Landolphi, the AIBxC's head of US operations, also helped select players for the American team.

The AIBxC is an associate WBSC member.

It has frequently collaborated with the WBSC on efforts to grow baseball for the blind, including designing an introductory course for the WBSC Academy.