Softball Australia and Softball ACT have been confirmed as hosts of the 2011 ISF Oceania Open Men’s qualifiers.
The event will be held at Hawker International Softball Centre from 6 December 2011 – 7 December 2011.
The confirmed teams participating in the qualifiers are Australia, Samoa and Papua New Guinea.
The top two ranked nations following a double round format will qualify for the 2013 ISF XIII Men’s World Championship to be held in New Zealand. New Zealand has automatically qualified for the World Championship as host nation.
Australia, current World Champions after defeating New Zealand in the 2009 ISF XII Men’s World Championship will go into the 2013 ISF XIII Men’s World Championship ranked number 1 should they qualify.
Samoa has not participated in an ISF Men’s World Championship since they finished fifth at the 2004 ISF XI Men’s World Championship, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Papua New Guinea have not participated on the World Stage since the 1980’s, they did enter the last qualifier but were unable to advance into the Championship proper finishing equal third with Guam behind Australia and New Zealand.
Aussie Steelers Head Coach Bob Harrow will select the Australian Open Men’s team to compete in the qualifier following the 2011 ActewAGL Fastpitch Skins Tournament also held in Canberra from 2 December 2011 – 4 December 2011.
Harrow was able to study the Aussie Steelers form on the recent tour to Argentina allowing him to gauge who he believes will be with him on the road to going back to back at the 2013 ISF XIII Men’s World Championship.