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In 1950, the 11th Baseball World Cup took place in Managua, NCA, with a record participation of 12 countries. Cuba was proclaimed Champions at an extraordinary congress held in Mexico the following year because Puerto Rico, who had beaten Cuba, was disqualified for using professional players. Pablo Morales of Venezuela was elected FIBA President.
At the 1952 Congress, held in Havana, CUB, Carlos M. Zecca of Costa Rica was elected President and Victor Hugo Lucha of El Salvador became the new Secretary-Treasurer. With their new officials, the FIBA once more began moves to secure the recognition of Baseball as an Olympic sport. It was decided that each affiliated national federation should also form part of its country’s Olympic Committee and comply with all Olympic rules and regulations. This created difficulties, particularly with regard to the use of professionals.
During this period, however, international activity continued with renewed force and the practice of Baseball spread enormously, particularly in Asia and Europe. From April 27 - 29, 1953, the leaders of European Baseball met in Paris, FRA, and the European Baseball Federation (FEB) was founded under the Presidency of Prince Steno Borghese of Italy.
Asia also formed a continental organization, the Asian Baseball Federation (ABF), at a Congress held at the Philippines in 1953. The first President was Charles Chick Parsons, from the host country.
In 1955, the United States Baseball Congress held the “Global World Series” with the participation of teams from Japan, Colombia, Venezuela, Spain and the USA. The USA won the Championship. The following year, the Global World Series was repeated and Japan took the title.
Meanwhile, at the Melbourne Olympic Games, an exhibition game took place between an Australian and a United States team. The U.S. won 11-5 in a game attended by 114,000 spectators.
For the 1959 Pan-American Games held in Chicago, USA, Carlos M. Zecca was re-elected FIBA President and Manuel González Guerra was voted Secretary-Treasurer.
In 1961, contacts were intensified between FIBA, with fifteen affiliated countries, and Europe and Asia. In 1963, the European Federation re-elected Steno Borghese as President and decided to organize a continental tournament, the European Cup of Clubs, with the participation of the Champions of the national leagues.
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