The Tienmu Baseball Stadium is almost ready for the XXXIV Baseball World Cup, Taipei City Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said yesterday.
"Except for some problems with the bilingual signs, dugout areas and rest rooms, I think we're almost ready for the games," Ma said. "We'll make sure to complete the work before the games begin."
Ma visited the venue to inspect improvements made to the grounds before the first game of the XXXIV Baseball World Cup begins on Nov. 6. To bring the stadium up to international standards, many adjustments have been made, including the addition of 4,000 more seats to the 6,000-seat facility.
Another reason for his visit was to attend the inauguration of a 6m by 8m outdoor television donated by Panasonic Systems Sales Taiwan Co.
Miquel Ortin, executive director of the International Baseball Federation, who also attended the ceremony, said that although he was a little worried about the weather, "Everything should be fine. "The stadium is the best venue to hold the international games," he said.
Ortin, who arrived on Sunday, said that he would stay in Taiwan for three more weeks until after the tournament ends.
The event, which is jointly organized by the city government and the Chinese-Taipei Baseball Association (中華棒協), is scheduled to take place Nov. 6 through Nov. 18 at Taipei City's Tienmu Stadium, Taipei County's Hsinchuang Stadium, Kaohsiung County's Chengching Lake Stadium and Chiayi City's Municipal Stadium.
A total of 16 teams are sched-uled to take part. The Tienmu Stadium will hold the opening ceremony as well as the awards ceremony.
More than half of the tickets for the tournament's first game, between Taiwan and Italy, have reportedly been sold.
Eight teams will play in Kaohsiung and Chiayi between Nov. 6 and Nov. 14.
Another eight teams will play in Tienmu and Hsinchuang between Nov. 7 and Nov. 15.
The top four will then compete in the semifinals, scheduled for Nov. 16 and Nov. 17 in Tienmu and Hsinchuang.
The two winners will move on to play in the finals, slated to take place at the Tienmu Stadium on Nov. 18.
The teams competing for third and fourth place will also play at Tienmu Stadium on Nov. 18.
The games to decide fifth and sixth place as well as seventh and eighth place will be played at Hsinchuang Stadium on the same day.
RSS