At 09:00 on August 27, 2006, the ISF XI Women's Fast Pitch World Championship officially opened in Beijing's Fengtai Softball Field, the first newly-built Olympic venue in the city for the 2008 Olympic Games. A grand gathering for the international softball family and an Olympic qualifier for 2008, the 10-day, 66-game event drew 16 teams from the United States, Canada, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Korea, Britain, Australia, Japan, Greece, Venezuela, Netherlands, Botswana, Colombia, Chinese Taipei and host China.

Ji Lin, Vice Mayor of Beijing , presided over the opening ceremony attended by Liu Qi, President of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG), who opened the tournament, Liu Peng, Director of the General Administration of Sport (GASC) and President of the Chinese Olympic Committee, Wang Qishan, Mayor of Beijing and BOCOG Executive President, Deng Pufang, BOCOG Executive President, President of China Disabled Persons' Federation and Chairman of China Welfare Fund for the Handicapped, Don Porter, President of the International Softball Federation (ISF), and ISF Secretary General Andrew Loechner.

Xiao Tian, GASC deputy director and president of the event organizing committee, and ISF President Don Porter delivered speeches at the ceremony, extending a warm welcome to the participants from across the world and hoping that the outstanding and exciting athletic ability of the players performing here will inspire young women athletes in China as well as throughout the world to take part in the sport of softball.

According to the ISF regulations, the top four teams from this world championship will earn a berth in the 2008 Olympic Games. China, as the host country of the Games, will automatically qualify for the Beijing Olympics.

As the first test event in Beijing for the 2008 Olympic Games, the tournament is conducted strictly by standards of the International Olympic Committee. By providing the players, officials and spectators with Olympic Games-time security and services,  the organizers expect to gain their experience at first hand for Beijing 2008 in less than two years' time.