The Tainan Asia-Pacific International Baseball Stadium has been built at a cost of $130 million (£105 million/€115 million) and will host the next five editions of the WBSC Under-12 Baseball World Cup.

This includes the 2019 tournament due to begin on Friday (July 26) and will include a mixed softball event for the first time.

Fraccari described the venue as the best youth facility in the world for any sport, not just baseball and softball.

It features two baseball stadiums which have been specially calibrated for young players, as well as two practice sites, a hotel and players' village.

The Taiwan Baseball Museum and Hall of Fame are also located at the complex alongside public batting cages.

There are 8,000 permanent seats and plans to add senior and professional facilities in the future.

Huang Wei-che, the Mayor of Tainan, was among other guests as the venue was opened.

"WBSC is the only International Sports Federation with World Cups starting at the under-12 level," said Fraccari.

"At the 2019 WBSC U12 Baseball and Softball World Cups, the top girls and boys from 14 countries will come together in the name of sport and to crown world champions in this youth category. 

"These World Cups are not only exciting to watch but they also build bridges across languages and cultures and give us the chance to instil the values of sport in the next generation."

Taiwan, who play as Chinese Taipei, has hosted every edition of the Under-12 Baseball World Cup since the tournament was established in 2011.

United States are the reigning world champions.

All WBSC age group events count towards the organisation's overall national rankings.