---
title: "Léna Sellam: France Baseball5 bid in Taranto, Italy; silver at the Mediterranean Games 2026."
sdDatePublished: "2026-08-28T17:12:00Z"
source: "https://www.wbsc.org/en/news/lena-sellam-softball-skills-and-baseball5-speed-fuel-frances-world-cup-ambitions"
topics:
  - name: "sport"
    identifier: "medtop:15000000"
  - name: "sport event"
    identifier: "medtop:20001108"
  - name: "competition discipline"
    identifier: "medtop:20000822"
  - name: "softball"
    identifier: "medtop:20001066"
locations:
  - "Taranto"
  - "Puerto Rico"
  - "Turkey"
  - "China"
  - "France"
---


Léna Sellam: France Baseball5 bid in Taranto, Italy; silver at the Mediterranean Games 2026.

Léna Sellam: Softball skills and Baseball5 speed fuel France’s World Cup ambitions - World Baseball Softball Confederation - wbsc.org

Léna Sellam: Softball skills and Baseball5 speed fuel France’s World Cup ambitions

France boast one of the most experienced squads in international Baseball5, and the 2026 Mediterranean Games in Taranto , Italy earlier this month offered another demonstration of their pedigree.

With two European Championship titles and one Youth European crown to their name, Les Bleus arrived at Villa Peripato among the leading contenders for the trophy.

France ultimately had to settle for silver after falling to Türkiye in the final, but the tournament provided an important opportunity to test the team ahead of the WBSC Baseball5 World Cup 2026 , which will take place in Puerto Rico from 9 to 13 December.

Un post condiviso da FFBS (@francebaseballsoftball)

Among the experienced players in the French squad was Léna Sellam. Aged 24, she has already built an impressive international career spanning Baseball, Softball and Baseball5.

Although she has also played Baseball, Sellam’s sporting roots lie in Softball. Before wearing the French colours on the Baseball5 court, she had already fulfilled her dream of representing her country by competing for Les Bleues at the Women’s Softball European Championship 2021 .

After being introduced to Baseball5 in 2018, Sellam continued to pursue both disciplines. Her journey has since taken her to the Women’s Softball European Championship 2024 , the WBSC Baseball5 World Cups in 2022 and 2024 , and the 2020 and 2025 Baseball5 European Championships , winning both continental titles.

Sellam believes the skills required in Softball and Baseball5 complement one another and have helped her develop as an athlete.

“Softball helps me in Baseball5 because of the way you have to think about the game,” she said. “Softball is also quick, so you have to anticipate every play.

“Baseball5 helps me in softball because it is even faster. You need quick feet and quick hands, so when I return to Softball, using the bigger ball and a glove, it feels easier to react quickly.”

Her international career with France has also allowed her to travel across Europe and around the world while forming lasting connections through sport.

“It’s always great to travel around Europe and the world,” Sellam said. “You gain valuable experiences every time, meet new people and discover new facilities. It’s really special.”

Of all the tournaments in which she has competed, France’s bronze-medal performance at the WBSC Baseball5 World Cup 2024 in Hong Kong, China, remains particularly memorable.

“We finished third in Hong Kong with the team, and that was a huge achievement,” she said.

Un post condiviso da Baseball5 (@wbsc_baseball5)

Throughout her career, Sellam has competed alongside both male and female teammates. Baseball5’s mixed-gender format has now given her the opportunity to share the international stage with both.

“I was initially used to playing only with men because I started in Baseball, and then I moved to an all-female environment in Softball,” she explained. “Baseball5 is very different, but having men and women on the same team brings a new energy.

“It creates a different atmosphere. We’ve known each other for several years now, everyone gets along well and it’s a really positive environment.”

The mixed-gender format has also helped strengthen the bonds between the French players, both on and off the court.

“Before games, we encourage each other and build up the energy so that everyone is ready,” Sellam said. “Away from the court, we spend time together at the hotel and play board games. It helps bring the team closer.”

Sellam is now focused on her next major Baseball5 challenge: the WBSC Baseball5 World Cup 2026 in Puerto Rico.

“We used the week in Taranto to prepare for the bigger objective in December - the next World Cup,” she said. “That is a huge event for us.”

Categories: Baseball5 , Baseball5 Mediterranean Cup 2026 , Europe Baseball5 , Europe home page , Europe Slideshow , WBSC Baseball5 World Cup 2026

A veteran of France’s Baseball, Softball and Baseball5 programmes, Léna Sellam helped Les Bleus claim silver at the Baseball5 Mediterranean Games 2026 in Taranto as they continued preparations for the WBSC Baseball5 World Cup in Puerto Rico.