Riccardo Fraccari

Riccardo Fraccari (born 30 May 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. In August 2016 under Fraccari, the International Olympic Committee voted to reinstate baseball and softball as Olympic sports for the Tokyo 2020 Games.[1] He was elected WBSC president in May 2014,[2] and is serving a 7-year term.

Riccardo Fraccari
President of the World Baseball Softball Confederation
Assumed office
10 May 2014
Personal details
Born (1949-05-30) May 30, 1949
Pisa, Italy
NationalityItalian

Fraccari was elected as president of the International Baseball Federation in December 2009,[3] 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,[4] 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.[5]

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.[6]

Fraccari has expanded international baseball properties to include a new flagship world tournament, the WBSC Premier 12 Professional Baseball National Team Championship,[7] and also the Under-12 Baseball World Cup and the Under-21 Baseball World Cup, which impact 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.[8]

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. He was appointed a member of CONI's highest authoritative body, the Executive Board ("Giunta"), in August 2018.[9]

In May 2013, Fraccari was elected as the Secretary General of the Association of IOC Recognised International Sports Federations.[10]

In April 2018, Bulgaria's National Sports Academy of Sofia named Fraccari an Honorary Professor.[11]

In May 2018, the WBSC under Fraccari established Baseball5, a new street/urban baseball discipline that only requires a ball.

Fraccari is also an advisory board member of the global sports think tank, Doha GOALS.[12]

Fraccari is fluent in English, French, Italian and Spanish.

Education

Fraccari is a retired professor of organic chemistry at the Livorno Technical Institute (Istituto Tecnico Industriale "Galileo Galilei") and also studied law at the University of Pisa.

Honours and decorations
  •  Italy : Knight of Merit of the Italian Republic
  •  Italy : Italian National Olympic Committee "Gold Star of Sport Merit"
  •  Bulgaria : Honorary Professor, Bulgaria National Sports Academy
  •  Bulgaria : Title Honoris Causa of Bulgaria

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
  1. Grohmann, Karolos. "Baseball, surfing among sports approved for Tokyo 2020 : IOC". Reuters. Retrieved 2018-09-04.
  2. Associated Press (May 14, 2014). "Fraccari elected baseball-softball president". USA Today. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  3. MLB.com (Dec 6, 2009). "Italy's Fraccari elected IBAF president". mlb.com. Retrieved 15 April 2011.
  4. Associated Press (October 15, 2012). "Baseball, softball join forces". ESPN. Retrieved 15 October 2012.
  5. Associated Press (February 3, 2015). "Castro's son campaigns for baseball". ESPN. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  6. SportsBusiness (January 18, 2015). "SportBusiness Ultimate Sports Federation shortlist unveiled". SportsBusiness. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
  7. Japan Times (January 19, 2015). "Japan to co-host Premier 12 baseball world tourney". Japan Times. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
  8. Associated Press (February 6, 2015). "European All-Star team to face No. 1 Japan in 2-game series". Yahoo! News. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
  9. "Magri si dimette dalla Giunta Nazionale. Il Consiglio Nazionale coopterà Fraccari". CONI. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
  10. International Olympic Committee. "International Sports Federations". IOC. Retrieved 27 May 2013.
  11. WBSC (27 April 2018). "WBSC President Fraccari Honorary Professor of the Bulgaria National Sports Academy". wbsc.org.
  12. "Doha Goals Advisory Board". Doha Goals.
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