Unfortunately, Haarlem Baseball Week will have to do without Japan this year. The defending champion has withdrawn from the tournament; they were unable to assemble a team to travel to Haarlem.
At the same time, there is good news: with the Czech Republic, a strong and very appealing replacement has been found.
Czech baseball has been on the rise in recent years. The national team recently finished third at the European Championship and emerged as one of the crowd favorites during the World Baseball Classic. This makes the Czech Republicfits fits perfectly within the theme of Baseball Week: The Future of Baseball.
Tournament director Peter Herkemij is therefore excited about the team’s arrival:
“We are very pleased that the Czech teamis is participating in Baseball Week. Their recent performances and the way they approach the sport of baseball are a perfect fit for our event. I am therefore delighted to welcome the Czech Republicas as a debutant in Haarlem.”
With the participation of the Czech Republic, the field of participants remains of a very high standard. Together with the other international teams, including debutant the Dominican Republic, Italy,, our own Kingdom Team, Curaçao, and Chinese Taipei, it promises to be another spectacular edition of Baseball Week. Czechwill will take Japan’s place in the schedule.
Visitors who have questions regarding Japan’s withdrawal, or who were planning to come to Haarlem specifically to see this team, can contact the Baseball Week secretariat at info@honkbalweek.nl.