The Northerns Sports Club hosted in Benoni, a 159,000-people city in the Gauteng Province, north-eastern South Africa, a Baseball5 showcase at the Grand Slam event on 23 January.
South African Baseball Union Baseball5 Commissioner Americo Juma told the local press that Baseball5 makes baseball/softball "more accessible and appealing."
"We don't use any equipment. We only use a rubber ball, and we hit with our hands," added Juma. "You can play it anywhere, the field dimension is 18 by 18 metres, and you only need five players to play. Baseball5 supports social cohesion and promotes women in sports."
Baseball5 will make its debut at the Youth Olympic Games in 2026.
In the short term, the South African Baseball Union hopes the five-on-five discipline becomes a tool to help younger players master the fundamentals of baseball/softball.
