Zim baseball trip to SA finally confirmed

25 Jan, 2015 - 03:01 0 Views

The Sunday News

Dalphine Tagwireyi Sports Reporter
SOUTH AFRICA Baseball Union has officially confirmed Zimbabwe’s participation at that country’s national baseball championships set for Gauteng in April.
In a telephone interview from his base in Harare on Wednesday an elated Zimbabwe Baseball Association vice-president Innocent Mwoyosvi said the SABU confirmation came as a huge relief.

The trip hung in limbo largely due to SABU’s delay to officially confirm Zimbabwe’s participation in the tournament that will be hosted by Easterns Baseball Association in Gauteng Province.

“I can confirm that we have received official invitation to the SABU championships which will be hosted by Easterns Baseball Association and will feature a seniors’ event from 4 April to 8 April whilst the juniors will play from 8 April to 11 April,” said Mwoyosvi, adding that initially ZBA had made a resolution to recall high school players who had made the national team but they had since shelved the idea.

“The association needs to engage with NASH so that we can get clearance for the young team players to be able to represent the nation at this prestigious event and earlier indications of the association recalling students who had been selected will be halted,” he said.

Mwoyosvi said in the event that talks between his association and NASH were successful they would feature a high school team in the juniors event at the

championships. That, he said, would give the youngsters a platform as well as exposure on the international arena.

“Bulawayo has the highest number of high schools which are active in baseball such as Hamilton, Nkulumane, Founders, Milton and Emakhandeni hence I will visit Bulawayo next week to engage in talks with NASH and also select players for the upcoming championship,” said the ZBA boss.

Zimbabwe are also scheduled to send a team to the 2015 All-Africa Games in Congo-Brazzaville next March, and preparations for continental participation will only start after the ZBA had engaged Nash over the high school players.

“We halted preparations which had been proceeding well because if NASH does not release the players it means we have to select other players to replace the high school pupils for both tournaments,” said Mwoyosvi.

Baseball is a sport which has been dormant for the past few years after being affected by the financial crisis that hit Zimbabwe way back in 2008. The country was last represented on the international arena at the 2007 All Africa Games where the nation scooped a bronze medal.

Baseball coach and developmental volunteer Washington Nyika acknowledged that high school players had been instrumental in the resuscitation of the game due to constant participation at that level in the absence of international events.

“Introduction of baseball in schools has been instrumental as talent development has led to a number of these players being incorporated into the national team and if NASH gives a satisfactory response, the youngsters will be part of the national team and the international arena will give them a well deserved exposure,” said Nyika.

Zimbabwe team:

John Ndlovu, Batsirai Murazvu, Kelvin Kawadza, Tinashe Kwangware, Tafadzwa Filipo, Jaison Mungoni, Joram Zifuinzi, Luxton Mawaya, Vincent Chaima, Sumani Phiri, William Sithole, Yasser Simango, Hloniphani Ngulube, Godknows Kachidza, Mhlanguli Muguti, Brian Mwanza, Anesuishe Nago, Collen Gando, Learnmore Takaedza, Alfred Sithole, and Raymond Mafuyanzara.

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