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IBAF cancels Venezuela baseball championship

The International Baseball Federation (IBAF) yesterday officially issued letters to member nations canceling the World Youth Baseball Championship that had been scheduled to begin in Venezuela tomorrow.

The IBAF move comes after Venezuelan authorities refused to issue visas to members of Taiwan's youth baseball teams.

Chinese Taipei Baseball Association (CPBA) secretary-general Lin Tsung-cheng (林宗成) said yesterday afternoon that the Venezuelan decision had seriously violated the principles of the International Olympic Committee as well as IBAF regulations.

The CPBA had lodged a complaint with the IBAF after Venezuela refused to issue visas to the Taiwanese players.

Lin said that the IBAF issued official notices to all its member nations as well as to its executive committee and staff at 9pm yesterday Taiwan time, calling off the 2007 World Youth Baseball Championship.

The IBAF also ordered staff members to return to their respective countries as soon as possible upon receiving the notice. Issues regarding punishment will be discussed during an executive committee meeting scheduled for Saturday in Frankfurt, Germany.

Lin said that after the association had received the notice, CPBA chairman Huang Wen-chung (黃文忠) immediately replied to the IBAF, expressing gratitude for its impartiality and stating that there would not be any problems regarding the issuing of visas for the upcoming Baseball World Cup and Asian Baseball Championship to be held in Taiwan in November.
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