With baseball and softball returning to the Olympics roster in Los Angeles in 2028, the UK’s excited baseball and softball communities are looking forward to some of the benefits that come with being included on sport’s top table.
UK Sport recently announced £1m in funding for both the Great Britain women’s fastpitch softball team and GB’s baseball national team. It is the largest funding award in British baseball/softball history, and it is hoped the investment will help both teams qualify in what is a fiercely competitive field.
At the time of writing, the women’s softball team is ranked 11th in the world, while the men’s GB baseball team sits in 18th place, just behind Germany. With just over three years until the Games begin, here’s how key figures in the UK’s baseball and softball community see the Olympics impacting at grassroots level.