The Zambia Under-Eighteen (U-18) Youth Baseball5 team has qualified to the 2023 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Youth Baseball5 World Cup to be held in Turkey.
Zambia U-18 Youth team participated in the inaugural Baseball5 African Championship and took centre stage in the sport by qualifying to the global tournament which will take place in Ankara, Turkey from 10th to 15th October, 2023.
In an interview with Lusaka Star, Zambia Baseball and Softball Association (ZBSA) General Secretary Kenny Matishi, said the association is elated by the qualification of the team, saying that it is the first time that the U-18 team has qualified to the highest level of competitive baseball5.
“The team has already started preparing in their various clubs while we are waiting for the funds so that they can be in camp and prepare for the tournament properly,” Mr. Matishi said.
Mr. Matishi revealed that the association is required to pay about $3 thousand before August 15th, in order for the team to be granted participation in the tournament.
Meanwhile, the team Coach Mwila Kunda, stated that she is happy that her team made it to the World baseball5 tournament, which she described as a dream come true for the team.
“It is an awesome feeling and there is hope for the team and we will keep training because we are not relaxed just because we have qualified,” she said.
She also revealed that the team desires to win a medal for the country and not to just participate at the tournament.
And, the National Olympic Committee of Zambia (NOCZ) Secretary General Boniface Kambikambi, disclosed that baseball5 is a sport that has not been played competitively for many years because it was only in lower learning institutions.
“But in the last few years we’ve helped the association through support in technical development and restructuring it into a well known sport,” he said.
Mr. Kambikambi said that NOCZ will continue to support the ZBSA through their various platforms and time has to be taken so that baseball 5 is added as an elective sport to all learning institutions.