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Olympic News: Italys Women’s Olympic Coach Enrico Obletter Dies From COVID Complications; Team Canada Launches “Women of Softball” Video Series

Enrico Obletter, Italian Women’s National Softball Team Head Coach, dies at 61. Photo: WSBC.

We are keeping our fingers crossed that the Tokyo Olympic Games happen this year and if they do—running July 23, 2021 through August 8, 2021—softball will kick off the international event with six countries represented (in order of when qualified): Japan, United States, Italy, Mexico, Canada and Australia.

Here are two of the most recent stories to impact the teams playing in the games…

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Sad news hit the international front on Monday as it was announced that Italy’s head coach, Enrico Obletteer, died at 61. According to WBSC.org, it was due to “complications resulting from COVID-19.”

Enrico Obletter. Photo Italy Softball

Per the WBSC release:

The softball world mourns the loss of Enrico Obletter, head coach of the Italian National Softball Team who earned the ticket to this summer’s Tokyo Olympics, leading his squad to win the WBSC Softball Europe/Africa Olympic Qualifier in 2019.

Obletter, 61, passed away yesterday (22 February) in Italy due to complications resulting from COVID-19.

Born in Sydney, Australia in 1959, Obletter landed in Italy in 1984 to play professional baseball. He later became a coach for Parma in Serie A before accepting a softball coaching position with the Italian National Softball Team for the Sydney 2000 Olympics. Obletter became manager of the Azzurre national softball squad in 2007.

As the manager for teams in Macerata, Caserta and Bussolengo, he ranks first all-time in Italian softball club history for most national championships and European titles.

Obletter and the Italian squad had a perfect season in 2019, steering his team to win the European Softball Championship and the Europe/Africa Olympic Qualifier. He was also the head coach of the Italy’s team that finished 11th at the WBSC U-19 Women’s Softball World Cup 2019.

“Talking about you is not easy, because in my role, I should remember the great coach, the leader who more than any other in Italy was able to bring the teams he coached to triumph,” said FIBS President Andrea Macron in a farewell letter. “But I can’t think of the league titles, the cups, the titles with the national team and the Olympic qualification. I can’t do it because in my eyes I only see you as a generous man with a big and genuine heart.”

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Canada Softball has launched a Women of Softball Video Series. Photo courtesy of Canada Softball.com

Team Canada has also been busy preparing for this summer’s event after qualifying in Sept. 1, 2019 at the Americas Softball Qualifier in Surrey, British Columbian, Canada.

Ten teams vied for two spots and Mexico captured the first while Canada clinched its fifth trip to the Olympics as Danielle Lawrie threw a masterful one-hitter to beat Brazil.

As announced by Softball Canada last week: “Over the next few months and in partnership with Sport Canada, Softball Canada will be sharing the stories of several powerful women in the game. Each having a unique and empowering story that we hope inspires the next group of athletes, coaches, and umpires coming up through the ranks.”

Here is the first of these videos showing the team working out:

 

The list of the players in the Canadian Women’s National Team can be find by clicking HERE.

Among the notable names on the team are pitcher Danielle Lawrie and infielder Jennifer Salling.

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