19 Jun 2017

World Softball day is a time of celebration to promote the idea that anybody in the world could become active in sport and that softball could serve as an attractive option for sport.

Carats Softball manager Justus Kuswane and also the organiser of the event said on Saturday in Orapa, stating that softball could serve as an option for sport because it could be enjoyed almost anywhere by children and elders beyond their sixties.

Kuswane indicated that World Softball day was set up to boost awareness particularly during the Olympic agenda 2020 review on the formation of the Olympic programme.

He noted that softball along with baseball, served as a common bond for millions of people from diverse ethnic, cultural and linguistic backgrounds in more than 141 nations across the world and especially young people and females to participate in sport and to make sport increasingly relevant to them.

With world Softball Day 2017, the World Baseball Softball Confederation he said would continue building baseball/softball’s position as one of the leading and most inclusive, gender-balanced global sport.

World Softball he said was celebrated in countries and cultures across the world as one of the most culturally diverse, adaptable and important sport for providing women and youth with pathways and opportunities to participate in sport.

For his part, sports development officer for Botswana National Sports Council, Tebogo Johannes said the objective of World Softball day was to increase awareness and improve mass participation in Softball.

Johannes said the day was also intended to celebrate achievement of softball and celebrate re-admittance of softball sport in to the Olympic programme.

 A Japanese Sofball expert he said had been engaged to impart skills amongst local players noting that Japan was one of the high ranking teams in both men and women. 

The expert, Aiko Nakamura who has been in Botswana for six months said it was important to start training players from the level of primary and junior schools to equip them with basic skills.  she has been in the country for the past six months. ENDS