BIZERTE, Tunisia – Hundreds of male and female youngsters were recently introduced to baseball on the streets of Africa’s northernmost city of Bizerte, Tunisia, highlighting the sports ability to be played in various settings – and helping increase pathways for youth to participate in physical activity.
As reported to the WBSC, the Tunisia Federation of Baseball and Softball (FTBS) organised the streetball competition, a public event that was open to everybody and attracted a wave of young people to try the sport, as well as onlookers.
FTBS has planned initiatives aimed at increasing participation numbers and the popularity of the bat-and-ball sport nationally, by expanding the sport’s reach to population-dense urban settings, which could be replicated in other cities around Tunisia and Africa, as well.
The latest developments follow historic growth for baseball and softball across Africa, with first-ever national stadiums erected in Ghana and Uganda in early 2014.
And in late 2014, there was a major breakthrough for the sport on the continent, as Kenya hosted the historic and first-ever U-18 Africa Baseball Championship / 2015 U-18 Baseball World Cup Qualifier, which was won by South Africa. It was newcomer Tanzania’s debut on the international baseball stage; Uganda earned the silver.
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