South Korean baseball giant KT Wiz has chosen Geelong over a number of global cities as the venue for a six-week summer camp.
KT Wiz, based in Suwon about 30km south of Seoul, has made the playoffs for the past five years in the Korean Baseball Organisation and won the Korean Series in 2021.
More than 80 players, coaches, training staff and executives will travel to the region and will invest in significant upgrades at Geelong Baseball Centre in Waurn Ponds.
The move was decided after a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the City of Greater Geelong, local baseball clubs and the Melbourne Aces.
The camp will run for six weeks from mid-January to late February.
“We appreciate the City of Greater Geelong providing such great training facilities to KT Wiz,” KT Wiz general manager Na Do-Hyun said.
“Geelong has the perfect conditions for our players to prepare off-season with high quality facilities and nice weather.”
The new deal strengthens the ties between Geelong and Korea, with the City having signed a Memorandum Of Understanding with Changwon City in 2022 to formalise an agreement to collaborate on trade, education, and cultural exchanges to promote investment and employment opportunities for both cities.
“I am excited to welcome KT Wiz to Geelong for their summer camp and look forward to working with them, the Melbourne Aces and local baseball clubs during the team’s stay here,” City of Greater Geelong mayor Stretch Kontelj said.
“Hosting the KT Wiz camp here in Geelong will not only offer a unique opportunity to showcase Geelong on the international stage but it also promises to bring significant economic benefits to the region.
“The camp will also drive improvements to our local baseball facilities, benefiting the community long after the camp concludes.”
Geelong Baseball Club president Adam Renouf said the camp “marks an incredible opportunity for cultural exchange and baseball excellence”.
“As president of the Geelong Baseball Club (Geelong Baycats), I’m thrilled to welcome KT Wiz to our club, our facility and our city,” he said.
“There will definitely be a buzz around the diamond, this provides us with a unique opportunity to host and watch these talented athletes and showcase elite level international baseball. This can only promote our club, our region and our sport through our shared love of the game.”
