Baseball and softball association eyeing improvement

YEAR REVIEW: 2014

By Silvano Kibuuka

Uganda Baseball and Softball Association (UBASA) executive is out to have an improvement in their activities.

UBASA moved in this direction by joining worldwide efforts to merge the two sports into one.

The association president George Mukhobe represented the country at a congress in Tunisia to endorse the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC). WBSC, the world governing body for the two sports, was established in 2013.

This followed the historic merger of the International Softball Federation and International Baseball Federation, the former respective world governing bodies for the two sports.

Each of the two sports now serve as divisions under the organisational structure of the WBSC, whose headquarters are in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Later, WBSC was granted recognition as the global authority for the two sports by the International Olympic Committee. WBSC is charged with overseeing all international competitions.

The body holds the exclusive rights of all competitions, tournaments and world championships featuring national teams. Discussions to merge baseball and softball world governing bodies were sparked by a memorandum of understanding.

The move saw leaders of the two sports agree to form a joint bid to be added to the programme for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.

Both sports were dropped after the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. Uganda’s involvement in endorsing the WBSC is bound to yield dividends.

UBASA’s publicity secretary Esther Nakabugo and committee member Rosemary Jopa got sponsorship for a four-month administration course in Canada.
 

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Buni Alex of East Coast P.S in Jinja targets the ball in the inaugural Primary Schools Baseball and Softball tournament at Kakira Sugar Works. (Photo credit: Silvano Kibuuka)

Officials playing key role

The two officials, who are mainly at the forefront of plans to develop softball in the country, are expected to pass over the skills acquired after the course.

“We welcome assistance as to improve our activities,” UBASA boss Mukhobe stated.

“We would like to thank bodies and individuals for the assistance and guidance rendered to our association.”

Following the course in Canada, a funds drive that will pave way for construction of a softball stadium in the country starting next year, rolled off.

At the same time, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) extended their relationship with UBASA by sending another volunteer coach to work in the country for two years. K

azu Nagatani replaced Tanaka Katishusha who has been around since 2010.

The official played a key role in the construction of the Japan-Uganda Friendship Baseball and Softball stadium in Gayaza.

The inaugural Primary Schools Baseball and Softball Tournament was held. Elsewhere, Uganda hosted the regional Major League Baseball and Softball Elite Camp that had coaches from South Africa and the US.

The camp resulted in Uganda sending 11 players to the Major League Elite Camp in Johannesburg. UBASA is preparing the national U-17 team for an international tournament scheduled for Meru, Kenya, December 15-20.

The association’s efforts to improve their activities got a boost with an offer of equipment from clubs in Canada and Japan.

The UBASA officials are out to build on what they have achieved so far so as to upgrade the standard of their activities in future.