Uganda’s road to Baseball5 World Cup in jeopardy over lack of funds

The Uganda Baseball5 national team is facing uncertainty ahead of the upcoming African Baseball5 Championship, set for November 5–8 in Lusaka, Zambia, as the federation struggles to secure funds for travel and preparation.

Speaking to Vision Sports, John Bosco Ssempa, the President of the Uganda Baseball and Softball Association (UBASA), confirmed that the team has not yet entered camp due to lack of financial support.

“We need at least 58 million shillings to transport a team of 15,” Ssempa said. 

“We submitted our calendar at the start of the year with all tournaments and leagues available. The feedback we got is that we don’t have a budget allocated for the team to travel.”

He explained that the initial plan was to hold two months of training camps ahead of the tournament, but preparations have been affected.

“We haven’t summoned the players due to lack of funds to run any engagements because we lack tickets, accommodation, training, and allowances,” he added.

Ssempa noted that this is not the first time the sport is facing such challenges.

“We have qualified and yet sponsorship is still a tag war, just like 2022, 2023, and now 2025. Yes, we have tried our best to get sponsors on board, but still failing,” he said.

Despite the challenges, he remains hopeful that the Uganda Nile Warriors will represent the country with pride if they make the trip.

“With the nature of this sport, we believe our team will emerge as champions due to the experience we have,” Ssempa emphasized. 

“We call onto all the sports and non-sports lovers to hear out this call and join us with any kind of support as we embark on our new journey to the World Cup.”

The African Baseball5 Championship will feature eight teams, including Uganda, Kenya, Tunisia, Cape Verde, Zambia, South Africa, Burkina Faso, and Senegal. The top two teams will qualify for the WBSC Baseball5 World Cup 2026 in Italy.

UBASA has recently focused on revamping local leagues and promoting Baseball5 in schools. The sport featured for the first time at the USSSA Ball Games II in Tororo in the middle of this year, a step toward growing its visibility across the country.

However, without the needed support, Uganda risks missing another opportunity to compete at continental level.

“We just need the chance to represent our country,” Ssempa concluded. “These young players have worked hard and deserve to be seen,” he concluded.