Starting next Friday, 16 fast pitch teams from around the world will be in Whitehorse, displaying the top female talent in the sport.

Softball Yukon will host the 13th International Softball Federation (ISF) Women's World Championships at the Pepsi Softball Centre from July 13-22.

Team Canada will be competing in section ‘B' of the tournament, matching up with Australia, Chinese Taipei, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Mexico and New Zealand.

The United States are the defending champions of the tournament, having defeated Japan in the 2010 championships in Venezuela.

Canada went on to win the bronze medal in that tournament and also captured silver in 1978.

Canada has yet to win gold since the ISF began hosting the championships in 1965.

This year marks the first time the ISF has hosted the tournament in a two-year rotation. In the past, the championships have been held once every four years.

It won't be the first time Whitehorse has hosted a softball event of this caliber, after bringing the 2008 ISF Junior Men's Fast Pitch Championships to town in 2008 and hosting the 2007 Canada Winter Games.

George Arcand, executive director of Softball Yukon, said everything is in place for the championships in an interview this morning.

"We're just about done,” he said. "All the dressings are going up and the extra bleachers and all that kind of thing. We're really looking forward to it.”

Sixty-six games will be played over the ten-day span, with each game being featured on a live webcast and also recorded for on-demand viewing. The games can be watched at www.sportscanada.tv.

The players will start arriving in Whitehorse on Monday and keeping coming in until as late as Thursday.

After being included in the 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games, women's fast pitch was removed from the Olympics for this year's Summer Games and the 2016 Olympics.

The International Olympic Committee made that decision in July, 2005 when they voted to remove the sport.

It was the first time in 69 years that a competition had been removed from the Olympic program.

In its place, golf and rugby sevens were added to the Olympics.

That decision has impacted fast pitch on a global scale, resulting in less funding for teams, which translates to less travel and a lower level of competition.

The ISF and the International Baseball Federation are currently working together on a joint proposal to have fast pitch re-inducted into the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Joining the elite athletes on the field will be a 20-person international umpire crew, consisting of 10 males and 10 females. Seven of the umpires have Olympic experience.

Noreen Atkinson, Joyce Bellini and Susan Strafford are the lone Canadian officials.

The first pitch of the championships will be thrown out July 13 at 9:30 a.m when New Zealand faces Mexico on Field One.

Later that night, the Opening Ceremonies will be hosted at 6 p.m., with Canada playing their first game immediately afterwards in a match-up against Chinese Taipei.

Arcand said the Opening Ceremonies would put on a show.

"It will be an introduction to the players and that type of thing and then we'll have two games after the ceremonies.”

While Canada faces Chinese Taipei, the Netherlands will face China on the adjacent field.

Filling out section ‘A' of the tournament are China, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Netherlands, Puerto Rico, South Africa, United Sates and Venezuela.

Tickets for the tournament can be purchased at Sport Yukon until Thursday, after that ticket sales will be moved to the gate at the Pepsi Softball Centre.

Adult passes can be purchased for $125, while Seniors (65 and older) and youth between two and 16 can purchase passes for $100.

Day passes are also available at the cost of $20 for all ages.