The Koanian Basebollförbundet (Koanian Baseball Association or KBF) is the governing body for baseball in Koana Islands. Founded in 1901, the KBF is one of the oldest and most influential baseball associations in the world. It is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the sport within Koana Islands and represents the nation in international baseball.

The KBF’s main objective is to promote and develop baseball in Koana Islands. The association organizes and administers various national baseball competitions, including the Super Ligan, which is the top-tier professional league in the country. The KBF also oversees the Koanian national baseball teams which have achieved significant success internationally. The KBF places great importance on youth development, operating extensive talent identification and development programs to nurture young players and ensure the future of Koanian baseball. Additionally, the association promotes the values of fair play, sportsmanship, and integrity in the game, and works to advance inclusivity and diversity within Koanian baseball.

As well as organizing the professional tiers within the Koanian Baseball pyramid, it also organizes the semi-professional and amateur levels. The 46 district associations of the KBF have a combined number of more than 22,000 clubs with more than 6 million members, making the KBF the single largest baseball federation in the Southern Union.

History

Foundation

With the success of the Super Ligan growing, so to was the demand from teams wishing to join the competition. Despite expanding the league by two teams in 1898 with Sandford Stad BF and Hamnområde BK, another league was hastily put together by BK Embleton owner Niclas Nordin called the Nationella Basebolligan.

However, mid-way through the 1899 baseball season on the 13th of June, 11 team owners from the NBL gathered for an extraordinary meeting in Omfattandestad. The agenda focused on two areas: Niclas Nordin’s running of the league and the growing gulf in financial might compared to the Super Ligan. Only Niclas Nordin and the two owners of Västra Delen 95 and Freyr Viksida were not invited.

Nordin’s decision to invite Västra Delen 95 and Freyr Viksida into the NBL at the start of the season without allowing all owners the chance to formally vote on their acceptance was considered unacceptable, and with attendances dropping for home games against the two sides due to their poor performances, all owners agreed that Nordin could not stay in the role of league commissioner.

Sandford Stad BF Petri Ljungberg was encouraged to speak to his former-colleagues in the Super Ligan and see if a merger was a possibility, especially with the growth of the Baseball Meisterschaft in Günsovölk potentially poaching players from the NBL, a stronger Super Ligan could only benefit all the teams within the Koana Islands.

After liaising with several owners in the Super Ligan, Ljungberg held a meeting and invited the other 10 owners who were present at the first meeting to discuss their options. Combining the two leagues to form a 26-team competition was ruled out but a second division allowing promotion and relegation was a distinct possibility, especially with it proving somewhat successful in the Football League in England.

With a unanimous decision to attempt a merger, Ljungberg and the other ten owners approached the Super Ligan president Pål Nyhaus and announced they intended to break away from the NBL and would like to formally join the Super Ligan as a second tier. By a result of 9-3, Super Ligan members agreed to subsume the teams under the umbrella of the Super Ligan and rebrand the NBL to Super Ligan: Division Ett (Division One), or simply Division Ett, with two promotion/relegation places between the two leagues to begin from next season.

To accommodate the different needs of both divisions, the Koanian Basebollförbundet was formed in March 1901, a few weeks prior to the start of the 1901 baseball season and consisted of all 26 team owners.

1910 – 1919

After eleven years of stability within the professional leagues, the KBF met after the 1912 baseball season with the agenda of growing interest and success within the sport, particularly on island states to the east such as Falkenberg, Nihnby and Sontra islands.

With the game starting to grow stagnant in the eyes of the public, the 26 owners agreed to expanding the Super Ligan from 12 teams to 14 starting from the 1914 baseball season, with only 1 team being relegated in 1913 and three promoted. The addition of four teams in Division Ett to increase the size of the second tier to 16 teams from 1914 onwards was ratified soon after. The four new teams joining the professional ranks included Västra Delen 95 & Freyr Viksida IK who were both voted out of Division Ett in 1902.

The expansion was a huge success financially, and the KBF set about looking to expand to a third tier prior to the end of the decade.