12 Feb 2019

A delegation from Japan’s Chuko University is in the country to conduct softball coaching clinics.

The clinics will be conducted in schools of excellence being Goodhope and Gumare, where they will help with skills development and technical assistance.

The delegation, which comprises of students, has retraced its steps back into the country after their first visit last year.

MacDonald Fologang, a member of the Botswana Softball Association NEC, said the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding last year, where the Japanese pledged their support as they were one of the best softball countries in the world.

Furthermore, he said the Japanese would also hold a one day workshop with club coaches as well as umpires and officials on the technical aspects of the game just to capacitate and up-skill them.

Fologang pointed out that it would just be a training workshop with no accreditations, adding that the Japanese delegation would also play against the local national team in preparation for the upcoming African Olympic qualifiers to be held in South Africa where teams will compete for the Olympics to be held in Japan next year.

Meanwhile, the BoFiNet Softball League, which is in full swing, saw the lowly ranked Stingers causing a major upset over the weekend when they walloped UB Giants by three runs to one.

Stingers, which is comprised of youngsters, held their ground in a closely contested match on Sunday in a bid to improve their log standings as they went into the encounter in ninth position.

Coach Balekang Simon said the charges played according to plan. Though they were a youthful side, he said they were improving tactically with each game. In other games, BDF IX humiliated Gideon Warriors by 15 runs to two to put pressure on the log leaders, Gatalamotho. ENDS