Azraq Baseball5 team continues to shine at Hope and Dreams Festival in Jordan

The Azraq Baseball5 team played another starring role at the third Hope and Dreams Sports Festival, held from 30 April to 3 May in Jordan, as the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) expanded its support for youth-focused sport-for-development programmes in refugee camps.

The festival. which is organised by World Taekwondo and the Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation, featured five sports: Baseball5, taekwondo, basketball 3x3, badminton and handball. The event, which began in 2022 as a taekwondo-only competition, has evolved into a growing multi-sport platform reaching more participants and international partners each year.

Sport demonstrations began on 30 April at the Azraq and Za’atari refugee camps, where young athletes showcased their Baseball5 skills in front of international guests. The WBSC supported the delivery of Baseball5 activities, with TeamMate donating 100 uniforms and 70 Baseball5 balls.

WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari and Chief Operating Officer Marco Ienna were among the visiting officials, joining World Taekwondo President and THF Chairman Chungwon Choue, FISU President Leonz Eder, Olympic Refuge Foundation representative Gonzalo Barrio and UNHCR’s Maria Stavropoulou.

“I was very happy to witness once again the beautiful atmosphere generated by this annual festival,” President Fraccari said. “The vibe has been incredible, and I was also pleased to see that the Baseball5 team has grown not only in terms of participation, but also in terms of skills. I look forward to seeing an even bigger impact in the coming years."

The programme continued with a two day Sports Day on 2 and 3 May at Amman Sports City. Baseball5 was among the featured competitions, with 230 participants from five areas in Jordan - Azraq Camp, Meqbeleh, Balila, Summa and Souf Camp. A total of 20 teams in total were divided into four age categories (U-11, U-13, U-15, U-17).

The tournament had an effective impact on integrating refugee children into local communities. President Fraccari met with all the participating teams one by one asking about their development and wishes for the future. He told the participants the importance of creating a physically and mentally healthy and strong community of passionate players, expanding grassroots in the villages while also using the schools in places like Amman as a tool for growth of sport and of communities. President Fraccari also emphasised the importance to select the best athletes to create a national team that could be trained to expand the Jordanian legacy internationally by competing at the Asian and global levels.

"I was really excited to watch the Baseball5 games. The joy of the teams was certainly the highlight and I felt that now our Azraq Refugee Team has become very close with the kids of the other teams coming from neighbouring villages," President Fraccari said. "This means a lot to me since one of the aim of this project is to create integration and harmony between refugees and local communities. This is an incredible achievement!"

Not only was the competition on the field of play intense but the tournament also offered other opportunities such as the U-17 Azraq Team, who after receiving a Game Officials Clinic last month, could also experience the tournament from a Game Official perspective, adding another important experience in their journey.  

The festival offered an opportunity for the youth to participate in structured sport and engage directly with international sport leaders in two of the largest refugee camps in Jordan. Baseball5’s minimal equipment requirement and strong youth appeal aligns with the festival’s mission to empower through sport, and with the WBSC’s commitment to promoting inclusive, values-based sport in all communities.

On the the sidelines of the Festival, President Fraccari also meet with Jordan Olympic Committee President and IOC Executive Board member HRH Prince Feisal Al Hussein as well as with the Jordanian Baseball Softball Federation President Sohail Magableh and Secretary General Amjed Alatoom to speak about the development of the sport in the country. Alatoom is also the head coach of the Azraq Refugee team and with assistant coach Reem Hadroos, they discussed the development of the team and next steps, including potential participation in international tournaments to prepare for the Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026.

The 2026 edition of the Hope and Dreams Festival will mark the 10th anniversary of the Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation, with plans under way to expand the festival’s reach and provide opportunities for more international federations to join alongside existing partners such as the WBSC in deepening their engagement through sports like Baseball5.