As part of the agreement, the Japanese firm will provide delegates at the Congress with official Mizuno apparel and will also deliver unique WBSC-branded promotional and display items to produce a baseball-softball theme and stage for the 2014 World Baseball Softball Congress.

"The WBSC is proud and privileged to partner with a globally recognised and leading sports brand like Mizuno, with whom international baseball and softball have grown and developed worldwide over the last five decades," said WBSC co-Presidents Riccardo Fraccari and Don Porter.

"We cannot think of a more ideal partner than Mizuno for reasons of posterity and to help capture the historic nature and significance of the first-ever World Baseball Softball Congress and the global evolution in baseball and softball that has led us to this historic point."

Delegates from more than 200 national federations affiliated with WBSC, from 141 countries and territories around the world, are expected to converge on Hammamet for the Congress which takes place on May 10 and 11.

Along with electing a new Executive Board, the WBSC Congress will focus on developing the sports at all levels globally ©AFP/Getty Images



The Congress will represent the first time the WBSC will meet for a global gathering since the amalgamation of the International Baseball Federation (IBAF) and the International Softball Federation (ISF) was formalised in April 2013.

It will also be the first time a global gathering of either the IBAF or ISF will have taken place on the African continent.

During the Congress, fresh elections will be held to select all positions on the new Executive Board including its first-ever President.

WBSC officials have confirmed that as well as leadership elections, the focus of the Congress will also be on emerging territories with high potential for development where baseball and softball can be practised among young people, promote gender equality, encourage greater universality and where national federations can build and reinforce their national teams for international competition.

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