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The reigning world champion Cuban team was refused entry visas by the Colombian government and could not take part in the 16th Baseball World Cup, which took place in February 1965 at Barranquilla and Cartagena, COL.
And so we come to the 17th Baseball World Cup, held in 1969 in Santo Domingo, with the long-awaited return of Cuba and, above all, the United States, after an absence of 26 years. Their victory in the 1967 Pan-American Games in Winnipeg, Canada, had finally whetted their appetite for international competition, and the President of the U.S. Federation, William P. ‘Dutch’ Fehring, decided the States should take an active part in FIBA competitions. The Baseball World Cup took on a whole new life and interest with a great game between Cuba and the USA, resulting in a 2-1 win for the Cubans. The FIBA Congress elected Juan Isa of the Dutch Antilles as the new President.
In 1970, the Baseball World Cup, now in its 18th edition, returned to Cartagena and Barranquilla, COL, with the participation for the first time of two European teams: Italy and the Netherlands. Twelve countries took part, and at the end, Cuba and the USA were tied. The final series, a best-of-three-games, was again won by the Cubans.
In late November 1971, in Havana, Cuba, eighteen countries were represented at the FIBA Congress. Aldo Notari, an Italian executive, presented a project for a new competition called the “Intercontinental Cup”, to be held in alternate years of the Baseball World Cup with the aim of promoting the development of international Baseball.
At last, Asian teams took part in a Baseball World Cup during the 20th edition, held in 1972 at Managua, NCA. Japan, in its debut, finished fourth, while Chinese Taipei came in sixth. The tournament, with a total of 16 countries and 120 games, was won by Cuba, defeated only once (2-0) by the host team supported by enthusiastic fans. For the first time, the Baseball World Cup was officially attended by an observer from the International Olympic Committee.
Just as efforts had finally been united, differences of opinion and powerful political influences caused divisions within the International Federation, leading to the creation of the Federación Mundial de Béisbol Amateur (FEMBA) at the Congress in Bologna, Italy, for the first Intercontinental Cup. This body then decided to organize its own Baseball World Cup in Nicaragua and William P. Fehring of the USA was elected President.
In 1973, FIBA organized its 21st Baseball World Cup in Havana, where Cuba confirmed its supremacy, completing the competition undefeated. There were two Baseball World Cups that year, producing two world Champions. In late November 1973, FEMBA organized what would be designated as the 22nd Baseball World Cup in Managua, Nicaragua. The Championship was won by a United States team which completed the series undefeated.
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