Riccardo Fraccari
| Riccardo Fraccari | |
|---|---|
 | |
| President of the World Baseball Softball Confederation | |
|
Assumed office May 10, 2014 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
May 30, 1949 Pisa, Italy |
| Nationality | Italian |
Riccardo Fraccari (born May 30, 1949 in Pisa, Italy) is a world sport administrator, holding various high-ranking positions, most notably as president of the World Baseball Softball Confederation and International Baseball Federation. He was elected WBSC president in May 2014,[1] and is serving a 7-year term.
Fraccari was elected as president of the International Baseball Federation in December 2009,[2] succeeding American Harvey Schiller, and immediately set out to hold merger discussions with the International Softball Federation. He spearheaded negotiations to consolidate international baseball and softball to establish and successfully launch the World Baseball Softball Confederation in October 2012,[3] uniting baseball and softball's global movements and streamlining the two sports' efforts to return to the Olympic Games.
In February 2015, Fraccari appointed Antonio Castro, the son of former Cuban leader Fidel Castro, as WBSC Global Ambassador and Kenyon & Kenyon Washington D.C.-based attorney Edward Colbert, brother of American political satirist Stephen Colbert, as WBSC General Counsel.[4]
In less than three years since overseeing the establishment of the WBSC, Fraccari has elevated the new world ruling body to be considered among the Top 30 "Ultimate Sports Federations" in the world.[5]
Fraccari has expanded international baseball properties to include a new flagship world tournament, the WBSC Premier 12 Professional Baseball National Team Championship,[6] and also the Under-12 Baseball World Cup and the Under-21 Baseball World Cup, which affect baseball's World Rankings.
Under Fraccari, the world governing body for baseball also established the first-ever "Europe" team to compete in officially recognized international competitions, setting a historical precedent.[7]
Fraccari also serves as the current chairman of the Italian National Olympic Committee's (CONI) International Relations Exploratory Committee and is a member of the CONI Council.
In May 2013, Fraccari was elected as the Secretary General of the Association of IOC Recognised International Sports Federations.[8]
Fraccari is also an advisory board member of the global sports think tank, Doha GOALS.[9]
Fraccari is fluent in English, French, Italian and Spanish.
Education
Fraccari obtained his degree in biochemistry from the University of Pisa and further pursued law and politics at the same institution.
Honours and decorations
-
Italy : Knight of Merit of the Italian Republic - Italy : Italian National Olympic Committee "Gold Star of Sport Merit"
Personal
Fraccari is married to a Swiss national; the couple have one son who graduated in law from LUISS "Guido Carli" University in Rome. Fraccari splits his residence between Livorno and Rome, Italy.
References
- ↑ Associated Press (May 14, 2014). "Fraccari elected baseball-softball president". USA Today. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
- ↑ MLB.com (Dec 6, 2009). "Italy's Fraccari elected IBAF president". mlb.com. Retrieved 15 April 2011.
- ↑ Associated Press (October 15, 2012). "Baseball, softball join forces". ESPN. Retrieved 15 October 2012.
- ↑ Associated Press (February 3, 2015). "Castro's son campaigns for baseball". ESPN. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
- ↑ SportsBusiness (January 18, 2015). "SportBusiness Ultimate Sports Federation shortlist unveiled". SportsBusiness. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
- ↑ Japan Times (January 19, 2015). "Japan to co-host Premier 12 baseball world tourney". Japan Times. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
- ↑ Associated Press (February 6, 2015). "European All-Star team to face No. 1 Japan in 2-game series". Yahoo! News. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
- ↑ International Olympic Committee. "International Sports Federations". IOC. Retrieved 27 May 2013.
- ↑ "Doha Goals Advisory Board". Doha Goals.