{"id":333052,"date":"2025-08-10T11:55:26","date_gmt":"2025-08-10T11:55:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/333052\/"},"modified":"2025-08-10T11:55:26","modified_gmt":"2025-08-10T11:55:26","slug":"japan-usa-win-gold-medals-canada-venezuela-get-bronze-as-the-world-games-mens-softball-medal-games-are-rained-out-world-baseball-softball-confederation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/333052\/","title":{"rendered":"Japan, USA win gold medals; Canada, Venezuela get bronze as The World Games men’s softball medal games are rained out – World Baseball Softball Confederation"},"content":{"rendered":"

World No. 1 Japan and No. 7 USA were both awarded the gold medal at The World Games Men’s Softball competition<\/a> in Chengdu, China after the medal games were cancelled due to rain. No. 6 Canada and No. 2 Venezuela earned the bronze medal. The rain was relentless in Chengdu during the early hours of the day, forcing the cancellation of the two medal games scheduled on Sunday, so two gold medals and two bronze medals were awarded.<\/p>\n

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For Japan, the gold medal marks their first title in a major international competition, after losing both of their previous World Cup finals in 2019 and 2000.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery international event is a very precious time for us,\u201d said Japan head coach Shinji Eguchi. \u201cIt\u2019s a great honour for us to win. I\u2019m very happy. We would have preferred to win in a different way, but there\u2019s nothing we can do about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

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For USA, the title is also a milestone \u2014 their first championship in a major international men\u2019s softball event since 1988 in Saskatoon, Canada.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s sort of a realisation of everything we\u2019ve put in,\u201d said USA head coach Ron Hackett. \u201cI\u2019ve been associated with the programme since about 2015, starting with the futures programme with a lot of young kids, and they\u2019re all here now. I became head coach in 2019, and it\u2019s been a nice journey. It\u2019s the medal we wanted, not the way we wanted it, but we have no control over that. I think it would have been a great game, but I\u2019m not disappointed in anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The bronze medal was shared by Venezuela and Canada.<\/p>\n

Venezuela\u2019s medal completes a remarkable summer in which they also won the WBSC Men’s Softball World Cup 2025\/2026<\/a> in Prince Albert last month.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought my greatest satisfaction was leading the women\u2019s team to the 2008 Beijing Olympics,\u201d said Venezuela head coach Delio L\u00f3pez. \u201cBut these two championships – the World Cup in Canada and, above all, this one – are the best. Going back to my country with another medal, when it was practically not expected, is a great achievement that deserves recognition for all these athletes.\u201d<\/p>\n

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For Canada, the medal marks a return to the podium after a disappointing result at last month’s World Cup, and a fitting send-off for retiring head coach John Stuart.<\/p>\n

\u201cVery happy for our players,\u201d said Stuart. \u201cIt\u2019s been a long journey here, and I\u2019m very proud to finish my career with a medal. This is my last event as head coach of the national team. I\u2019ve been with Softball Canada for 16 years, 11 as head coach. Other than the past World Cup, I medalled at every World Cup – the only country to do that – so I\u2019m very proud of that.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The last time a major men\u2019s softball event could not be completed due to rain was the WBSC Men\u2019s Softball World Cup 1976, when the playoffs were rained out and the championship was awarded jointly to Canada, New Zealand, and USA.<\/p>\n

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