By Yoon Chul
The Korean national baseball team may not clash with archrival Japan as much as they did in the previous competition in the third World Baseball Classic (WBC).
The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) and Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) asked the WBC operations committee in New York, Friday (KST) to change the tournament system in order for the same teams to not meet so many times.
While the two archrivals, Korea and Japan, reached the final in the 2nd WBC, they met five times ― twice in the first round, twice in the second round and the final ― out of the formers nine games.
However as the committee knows that clashes between the two Asian powerhouses are good for the ticket office, it is not sure whether they will change the system or not.
Meanwhile participating nations will be expanded from 16 to 28 nations.
The four teams, which didn’t grab a single win in the previous event, and England, France, Germany, Thailand, Philippine Brazil, Chechen and Nicaragua will play in preliminary rounds and four of them will move to WBC finals.
Meanwhile the committee has decided to run an under-18 WBC.