PONY Baseball and Softball will celebrate its 21st anniversary of the European Zone Championship in Prague, Czech Republic. The European Zone Championship started in the United Kingdom, then moved and held its first championship in Prague in 2001 with only four teams in the Colt divisions. Each year the European Zone Championship grows totaling 45 teams from 15 European countries.
SUMA Pony Baseball will host the Pony and Colt Championships, as well as the Colt Girls Softball Championship in Prague, Czech Republic, on April 18-21, 2024. This year is the biggest European Zone Championship yet. All three divisions have expanded to fifteen teams each. With the expansion of fifteen teams each, the tournament will be played at three outstanding facilities, Eagles Praha, Tempo Titans Praha, and SaBaT Praha. The winners of each division will earn a bid to a PONY Baseball and Softball World Series which will be held in the United States.
“Since 2001, when we hosted the first COLT Tournament, with only four teams, three from the Czech Republic and one from Slovakia, it is unbelievable to see the development of the European Zone,” stated PONY European Director Jan Bagin. “In the 21st edition in Prague, we reached an impressive number of teams totaling 45 teams from 15 different European countries. The most important thing for us as organizers is the fact that youth teams from all around Europe will gain experience while playing international baseball and softball and also meet new friends from other countries.”
During the 2022 European Zone Championship a Ukrainian baseball team participated. Earlier that year this Ukrainian baseball team's world was turned upside down by the invasion of Russia. In the face of uncertainty in a war-torn country, this team did not lose hope. For the love of the game, they utilized their instilled values to keep playing. This year PONY Baseball and Softball welcomes back a Ukrainian baseball and softball team.
“We are very excited to have a full field and 15 European countries to participate in the SUMA Pony European Championships,” stated PONY President Abraham Key. “We welcome back Ukraine and for the first time Switzerland. Prague hosts the largest youth baseball and girls softball tournaments in Europe.”
Stuttgart Reds from Stuttgart, Germany, will host the Palomino European Zone Championship and for the first time the Palomino Girls Softball European Zone Championship on May 1-5, 2024. The Stuttgart Reds just opened one of the best European baseball and softball facilities.
The El Llano Baseball Club will be hosting the Bronco European Zone Championship in the City of Gijón, Spain on May 23-26, 2024.