The WBSC has revealed the prize pot for the inaugural Premier12 competition ©WBSC

The winners of the inaugural World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Premier 12 tournament will receive a prize fund of $1 million (£652,000/€905,000), the sport’s governing body has announced, with every participating nation guaranteed at least $150,000 (£98,000/€136,000).

In total, $3.8 million (£2.5 million/€3.4 million) will be handed out during the maiden edition of the event and every National Federation will distribute half of their respective earnings to the competing athletes.

The runners-up will scoop $600,000 (£391,000/€543,000), with the third place team due to take home $400,000 (£261,000/€362,000).

Despite the disappointment of missing out on a podium place, the fourth-place side will earn $300,000 (£196,000/€271,000), with the teams who finish between fifth and eighth claiming $225,000 (£147,000/€204,000).

The first-ever edition of the competition, which runs from November 8 to 21, features the top 12 baseball teams in the world who will go head-to-head in a round robin and knockout format.

Group matches will take place in Chinese Taipei and semi-finals and finals will be held at the Tokyo Dome.

World number one ranked Japan are in Group B alongside the United States, ranked at number two in the world, Olympic champions South Korea, Dominican Republic, Venezuela and Mexico.

Olympic champions South Korea will face Cuba in two matches to open their new Gocheok Sky Dome stadium
Olympic champions South Korea will face Cuba in two matches to open their new Gocheok Sky Dome stadium ©Getty Images

Olympic silver medallists Cuba, Taiwan, The Netherlands, Canada, Puerto Rico and Italy make up Group A.

Before the event itself gets underway, Japan and South Korea will face each other in a special opener for the tournament at the 40,000-seat Sapporo Dome on November 8.

The WBSC has also announced that the South Korean team will take on Cuba, who they beat to claim Olympic gold in the final at Beijing 2008, in a two-match series to officially open the the new Gocheok Sky Dome, the first domed baseball stadium in the nation.

It is hoped the event will help showcase baseball’s global appeal after baseball/softball was put forward by the Tokyo 2020 Additional Events Programme Panel for potential inclusion at the Olympic Games in the Japanese capital in five years’ time, along with karate, skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing. 



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