South Africa and Kenya lead undefeated after Day 2 of the Baseball5 African Championship
On Wednesday, 25 May, four more games are scheduled to complete pool play. The top four finishers of each group will advance to the elimination phase. WBSC President Fraccari: "This tournament demonstrates the power of our new discipline and its youth appeal."
South Africa and Kenya lead their respective groups undefeated after Day 2 of the Baseball5 African Championship in Tanzania, which is proving a great hit with the teams and spectators.
South Africa beat winless Zimbabwe and Tunisia, while Kenya swept the previously unbeaten hosts and Burkina Faso as the athletes put together some memorable play on the court and spectacular celebrations off it.
Three more matchups are scheduled to close pool play on Wednesday, 25 May:
Zimbabwe @ Tunisia South Africa @ Ghana Uganda @ Zimbabwe
Burkina Faso automatically wins the final game due to a Egypt forfeit.
After these games, the elimination phase will begin, with the top four finishers competing in the quarterfinals.
WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari arrived in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania on Tuesday and immediately attended the tournament, which is taking place at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam and is a qualification tournament - the top two teams will qualify - for the WBSC Baseball5 World Cup taking place later this year.
The status of urban and youth-focused discipline that Baseball5 has, gives the five-on-five version of baseball/softball a chance to lead unprecedented development in Africa.
Baseball5 features on the programme of the 2026 Youth Olympic Games. Senegal, the host country of the games, launched in December 2021 a five-year Baseball5 Development plan to make most of the Senegalese people familiar with the five-on-five version of baseball/softball by the time of Dakar 2026.
Zimbabwe and Kenya saw the baseball and the softball governing bodies agree on shared projects to field the Baseball5 National Teams.
"Baseball5, which is fully in line with the Agenda 2020+5 of the IOC, the New Norm and the founding principles of the Olympic Movement, is an accessible discipline that meets all the criteria of a modern, attractive, inclusive, mixed-gender, youth-focused, urban sport," added Fraccari. "Therefore, the WBSC aims to take our sport to every corner of the world, and the African continent is a major target for us."
