Persistent rain on Sunday washed out the men’s softball final at the 2025 World Games in Chengdu, leaving the United States and Japan to share the gold medal. The bronze medal match between Venezuela and Canada was also canceled, with both teams awarded bronze.

This year marked the men’s softball event’s return to the World Games for the first time in 44 years, last appearing in 1981 in Santa Clara, California. The competition ran from August 6 to 10 at the Xindu Xiangcheng Sports City Softball Field, featuring 40 games across group and knockout stages.

Both the U.S. and Japan advanced to the final undefeated. The Americans topped their group with commanding wins over Singapore (15–2) and Canada (6–3), while Japan led their pool after decisive victories against Venezuela (10–3) and Czechia (8–2).

What the team leaders had to say

“It’s no big deal to share the championship with Japan,” said U.S. captain Shaw Zachary. “We have a great team with many talented players. We overcame a lot of challenges from the start of the tournament and played excellently on both offense and defense.”

Japan’s Seii Kuroiwa called the cancellation “rare but unavoidable,” adding: “Weather is something we can’t control. It’s a pity we couldn’t play today, but I hope we can face the U.S. on the field in the near future.”

The women’s softball competition begins Wednesday, with host nation China facing the Netherlands in their opening group-stage match.