Taiwan prepares for a comeback at the 2009 baseball World Cup

Taiwan prepares for a comeback at the 2009 baseball World Cup Taipei - Taiwan, after suffering two humiliating defeats at the hands of China in the past year, is preparing a comeback at the 2009 baseball World Cup, officials said Monday.

The China Taipei Baseball Association announced the preliminary selection of 45 players for the World Cup which takes place September 9-27 in seven European nations.

The lineup includes the team - comprising 20 amateurs - that took part in the baseball Asian Championship which ended in Sapporo, Japan, Monday.

Taiwan came second in the 12-team event after beating South Korea 4-5 and trouncing China 13-1, but lost to 6-5 to Japan.

The Taiwan team for the 38h baseball World Cup includes nine players who are playing for baseball teams in the United States and Japan.

The team will start training for the World Cup on August 8, the association said on its website.

Taiwan will face the Czech Republic, Australia and Mexico in Group A. The first and second-place teams from each of the five groups will advance to the next round.

The United States are the defending champion at the 22-team event. Japan, South Korea and Taiwan are the three baseball nations in Asia, but China is catching up by using Taiwanese and Japanese coaches to train its players.

China defeated Taiwan 8-7 at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and won 4-1 in in the qualifying round for the World Baseball Classics held in Tokyo in March.

Taiwanese sports officials have admitted China has caught up and vowed to re-organize the island's baseball sport so that it can shine again in the international arena. (dpa)