The number of registered baseball and softball players in France has risen to record heights, with participation levels rising most dramatically in the under-15 and under-12 categories ©WBSC

The number of registered baseball and softball players in France has risen to record heights, with participation levels rising most dramatically in the under-15 and under-12 categories.

The latest participation figure announced by French Baseball Softball Federation (FFBS) is 14,654, of whom 3,252 or 22.1 per cent - are female players.

The figure is up seven per cent from 2021 and 40 per cent from 2012.

FFBS broke the 13,000-player milestone in 2017 and has always been above that mark except for the 2020 season, plagued by COVID-19 restrictions, when numbers dropped to 12,625.

Key growth areas in levels of participation in baseball and softball in France are the under-12 and under-15 categories ©WBSC
Key growth areas in levels of participation in baseball and softball in France are the under-12 and under-15 categories ©WBSC

The under-12 and under-15 age brackets account for the two largest categories for men and women.

There are 1,560 registered under-12 male players and 1,514 registered under-15 male players.

The corresponding figures for female players are 406 and 519.

Baseball and softball, which returned to the Olympic programme for Tokyo 2020, will not feature at Paris 2024.

However there are strong expectations of a return in time for the Los Angeles 2028 edition.