The Senegal Baseball and Softball Association launched a five-year Baseball5 development plan to make the most of the Senegalese people familiar with the five-on-five version of baseball/softball within the 2026 Youth Olympic Games. Senegal will host the next Youth Olympic Games in the capital city Dakar.
Part of the plan is a two-year campaign named '50,000 Baseball5 Members', and that kicked off on Saturday, 27 November, with an Open House Day at the outdoor basketball court of the town of Yoff, in the vicinity of Dakar.
The day involved 60 kids of the neighbourhood, who received basic education about the rules of Baseball5 and went through drills about the fundamentals of throwing and catching.
"We are delighted with the outcome," commented Ibra Kadam, the Senegal Baseball & Softball Association President. "We're looking forward to having the same enthusiasm as we go to other neighbourhoods to share this experience with the local youth."
The goal of the Open House Day was to present Baseball5 to the people of Yoff and make them also aware of baseball/softball and the Youth Olympics.
After Yoff, the Association's Technical Department plans to reach all the neighbourhoods of Dakar and extend the demonstration and introduction of Baseball5 to the rest of the country within the two-year time of the campaign.
President Kadam personally held a three-week course on the rules of Baseball5 for the federation staff. The mid-term plan is to train future Baseball5 coaches and instructors in collaboration with the National Institute of Popular Education and Sport (INSEPS, Institut National Superiéur de l'Education Populaire et du Sport).
