The Hong Kong Jockey Club Baseball5 Community Project was launched at the Central Harbourfront Event Space on Saturday, marking the start of a series of activities ahead of the 2024 WBSC Baseball5 World Cup, which will be held from October 7 to 12.

The event included an opening ceremony attended by Liu Zhen, Deputy Director of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mak Wai-bin, Director-General of Charity Affairs (Sports) of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, Fan Junhua, President of the Hong Kong Baseball Association, and He Difu, Chairman of the Hong Kong Baseball Association.

The highlight of the event was a demonstration game involving eight athletes from different sports, including baseball player Dai Wenjun, softball player Huang Chuxi, fin swimmer Ruan Weiheng, karate athlete Cai Yunyu, basketball player Ren Xuyan, artist and football player Zhi Yongshan, football player Xie Jiarong and Frisbee player Li Jintao.

The same venue will also host the WBSC Baseball5 World Cup 2024. Twelve teams from five continents, including Tunisia, South Africa, Cuba, Mexico, Venezuela, China, Chinese Taipei, Japan, Hong Kong, France, Lithuania and Australia, will compete for the title of world champion.

The first edition of the WBSC Baseball World Cup was held in 2022 at El Zócalo in Mexico City, Mexico. Cuba emerged as the first world champions, defeating Japan, which finished in second place, while Chinese Taipei finished in third place.