[Official] "Return to the Center of Asia After 4 Years": Yang Hae-young, President of the Korea Baseball and Softball Association (KBSA), Elected Vice President of the Baseball Federation of Asia... Strengthening of Korean Baseball Diplomacy Expected

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Korean baseball has returned to the center of the Baseball Federation of Asia (BFA) executive committee after four years. Yang Hae-young (65), President of the Korea Baseball and Softball Association (KBSA), who previously served as Secretary-General of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) and is currently leading domestic amateur baseball, was elected vice president of the BFA.

On the 12th, KBSA officially announced that "President Yang Hae-young was elected vice president at the BFA General Assembly held in Taipei, Taiwan."

At this general assembly, a new executive committee to lead Asian baseball for four years from 2027 to 2030 was formed. Jeffrey Ku Junior, President of Taiwan, succeeded in re-election, and President Yang, along with Japan's Hiroko Yamada and China's Bin Xie, were appointed as vice presidents.

In particular, it is significant that President Yang returned to the position of vice president after four years, especially given that all existing vice presidents were replaced. To strengthen management and support for its recently increased number of member countries, the BFA expanded the number of executive committee members from the previous three to five.

President Yang is a veteran figure in Korean baseball administration. He joined KBO in 1988 and has held positions including Planning Department Head, Public Relations Department Head, Deputy Secretary-General, and Representative Director of KBOP, KBO's marketing subsidiary. From 2011 to 2017, he served as KBO Secretary-General, overseeing all aspects of professional baseball administration.

In 2017, he concurrently held the positions of KBO Secretary-General and KBSA Vice President. After leaving KBO, he devoted himself to the development of amateur baseball. In January last year, he ran as the sole candidate in the election for the 25th President of KBSA and was elected, becoming the head of Korean amateur baseball.

Since taking office, he has focused on expanding the base of youth baseball and strengthening the competitiveness of national teams as key tasks. In an interview with StarNews in September last year, President Yang emphasized the need to expand the base of Korean amateur baseball and systematically develop players. At the time, President Yang stated, "We need a shift in mindset where we do not just make student-players study, but ensure that all students engage in sports. We must create an atmosphere where all elementary, middle, and high school students in the Republic of Korea can participate in one or two sports."

With this election as BFA Vice President, President Yang will now be able to have a voice not only in domestic amateur baseball administration but also in cooperation among Asian member countries and the operation of international tournaments. President Yang expressed his gratitude for being elected by stating, "Korea, which had been temporarily excluded from cooperation and exchange activation among BFA member countries, has returned to the center of the executive committee, laying the foundation for active participation in Asian baseball administration and contribution to its development."

He further emphasized, "Within the major trends of Asian baseball led by Korea, Taiwan, and Japan, I will do my utmost to guide the growth and development of other member countries so that Asian baseball as a whole can possess stronger competitiveness on the world stage."

Korea is expanding its position in Asian sports diplomacy not only in baseball but also in softball. KBSA Vice President Kim Eun-young succeeded in re-election as vice president of the Softball Asia (SA) in January last year. This marks her third consecutive term since she was first elected SA Vice President in 2018, and she will participate in expanding the base of Asian softball and activating international exchange until 2030.

With President Yang's return as BFA Vice President, KBSA has secured vice presidency positions in both the international federations for Asian baseball and softball.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original