Africa is perhaps the continent where baseball has made the least inroads, save for South Africa which does have a fairly strong baseball tradition. Soccer and basketball reign supreme there. And yet, baseball is played in Africa and increasingly so in recent years. More interest and investment in developing the game there is coming from places where baseball is much more established, but plenty of evangelism is still required. And yet, there are games being played in places where one would never imagine baseball is played. You can catch a game in Burkina Faso, Uganda or Kenya if you know where to look. Let us immerse ourselves in the fascinating, yet largely unexplored world of African baseball.
Did you know that there exists an Africa Baseball and Softball Association since 1990 and that an African Cup was first played in 1992? No? Me neither before beginning the work for this piece. And yes there are kids picking up the sport in recent years in ever increasing numbers. A handful of Africans have found themselves playing affiliated ball in America and one, Gift Ngoepe, made it all the way to The Show, shattering a barrier many thought would not be shattered for decades to come.
As far as evangelizing the game to Africans is concerned, much of the good work is done by the Japanese. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) runs a number of these types of programs. Baseball is a vehicle for teaching teamwork, discipline and other life skills to kids as far away as Senegal or Zimbabwe. In 2014, grants from Japan financed baseball fields in Ghana and Uganda. Japanese people doing baseball's good work also arrange equipment for Africa. Here, major problems include logistics, bureaucracy and corruption. The tenuous security situation in some African countries also forces projects to be aborted due to safety fears.
African children are drawn to other sports instead of baseball for a myriad of reasons. The cost prohibitive nature of quality baseball equipment is key. The lack of knowledgeable people on the ground to teach the game is another. The higher profile of soccer, basketball or athletics is another factor. Africa is probably the single greatest untapped source of talent left in our game but it will require a lot of work.
And yet, there are successes. South Africa nearly beat Canada at the 2006 World Baseball Classic and remains a regular in international competitions. Ngoepe made it to the majors and a team from Uganda made it to the Little League World Series tournament in Williamsport, PA in 2012. They had qualified the year before also but the players were unable to receive travel visas on time and they were replaced by a Saudi team. They made it back in 2015 also. In 2020, there was another win, with ESPN agreeing to expand broadcast coverage for MLB games in Africa. Ghana has even been graced by two official MLB delegations including one containing Hall of Famer Dave Winfield. They are seen at this time as perhaps the best bet for a major breakthrough in Africa.
Speaking of breakthroughs, you may or may not have heard a very interesting story from the Dodgers organization. They have recently signed two Ugandans to their minor league system. They will be sent to the Dodgers' academy in the Dominican Republic as the first step in their professional journey. Uganda is seen by some as a potential baseball gold mine for the future. The lack of equipment, logistical woes and the country's difficult security situation pose formidable challenges but the Little League teams which have made important strides in recent years have a lot of promising talent.
On the other side of the continent, Ghana is receiving significant support from various sources including the Japanese NGO J-ABS. Japanese support has been critical in procuring equipment and even proper playing fields. An influx of Japanese volunteer coaches with significant experience and fundamental knowledge of the game is another key boost. The security situation in Ghana is also much better which makes baseball themed aid work easier. This worked was even featured in a documentary back in Japan and a handful of Ghanaian players have even been brought to Japan to train. A recent memorandum of understanding was signed also between J-ABS and the Ghana Baseball Softball Federation (GBSF) to continue this development work. Part of the plan here is to even launch a national league in Ghana similar to what the Japanese are working on in Tanzania. The Dodgers organization has even gotten involved now. They are working with the GBSF to develop academy systems similar to what the Dodgers currently have in Uganda.
The Japanese are also focusing quite a bit on Tanzania. J-ABS is again involved here. The first proper ball field was inaugurated in 2018 and Tanzania enjoys WBSC support in building its baseball infrastructure as well. The name Shinya Tomonari again features. The same man who has been so crucial in building Ghanaian baseball is heavily involved in building the Tanzanian program.
In next door Kenya, baseball has now reached five of the eight major regions of the country.They are now WBSC ranked and supported as well and as you may have guessed J-ABS is also involved here. Playing fields are being built here also but funding remains an issue limiting opportunities to compete abroad with their African peers in Olympic qualifiers for example. Little League ball is also slowly taking off in the country as we await the first Kenyan team to reach Williamsport.
The most populous country in Africa is Nigeria. It also has a significant history of athletic achievement in other sports. Naturally, there is an interest in adding baseball to the list of sports where Nigerians succeed. Baseball in Nigeria goes back to the time of independence, courtesy the American Peace Corps. The devastating civil war of the late 1960's forced their departure and scuttled attempts to grow the game in Nigeria. A baseball federation was formed in 1989 and the last three decades have seen growth and participation in international competition. Still, the same issues persist that we see in other countries, lack of equipment, lack of coaching, lack of visibility for the game. A recent memorandum of understanding between Nigeria and Japan (who else) should help in addressing these concerns. In a country of 200 million, there should be plenty of talent unearthed in due time.
Africa is a continent of immense resources but limited opportunities. If we want baseball to truly become a global game, then we need to break down this frontier. As I write this article, I am encouraged to find that there has been a real effort from people in baseball powerhouse countries to find the ballplayers hidden on the African continent. Many of these young people probably don't even understand the ability that they're sitting on and if they never get a chance, they never will. If we keep pushing to give Africans a chance to discover baseball though, we will find that a passionate few can become a tidal wave of new fans. We may also see an African nation in the WBC again one day and it may not necessarily be South Africa. Can you imagine a team from Uganda or Kenya or Nigeria taking the field with MLB stars come 2050 at the WBC? I can. I dare to dream.
Opmerkingen