The draw for the WBSC Americas Championship was made in Lausanne tonight by Federation President Riccardo Fraccari and French player and athletes' commission representative Pauline Prade ©Getty Images

A live-streamed draw in Lausanne tonight determined the 12 teams that will contest the World Baseball Softball Confederation’s Americas Championship later this year – a tournament which will offer two teams a gateway to Tokyo 2020.

Hosts Japan and the United States, winners of last year’s Women’s Softball World Championship title, have already secured their places at the Olympic Games.

Four teams were already seeded for the Championship which will run from August 21 to September 1 in the Canadian city of Surrey in British Columbia – Canada and Puerto Rico in Group A, Mexico and Venezuela in Group B.

The draw was made today for the World Baseball Softball Confederation’s Americas Championships ©WBSC
The draw was made today for the World Baseball Softball Confederation’s Americas Championships ©WBSC

After a draw conducted by France player and athletes' commission representative Pauline Prade, and announced by the WSBC President Riccardo Fraccari, the teams were allotted to two qualifying groups in order of seeding after the two pre-qualified nations.

Group A will feature The Bahamas, seeded third, Cuba, seeded fourth, Guatemala, seeded fifth, and Argentina, seeded sixth.

Group B will comprise Brazil as third seeds, then Peru, British Virgin Islands and Dominican Republic.

The Americas qualifier will be the first of several continental qualifiers for Tokyo 2020, for which the final point of entry will be April next year.