The Ghana Baseball and Softball Association (GBSA) and the Japan-Africa Baseball and Softball Foundation (J-ABS) have signed a partnership agreement for the development of the sport in Ghana.
Under the Ballership Education Partnership Agreement, the J-ABS will assist the GBSA to maintain playing surfaces for the sport, organise training as well as exchange programmes for coaches and players and also organise a national baseball tournament called the Ghana Koshien Tournament.
Launch
Speaking at the signing of the partnership on Friday (May 13, 2022) in Accra, the President of the GBSF, Mr Ernest Danso said he was hopeful that the partnership would result in baseball becoming a household name in Ghana.
He stated that the partnership forms part of efforts by the Association to develop the sport.
“This partnership is about the holistic development of the sport, from the education of the players and coaches to organising competitions and maintaining playing surfaces.
“We want to make baseball a household name in Ghana and we are hopeful that with the assistance of the J-ABS we will be able to achieve that goal in the near future”.
On his part, the President of the J-ABS, Mr Shinya Tomonari said the partnership was part of the African Koshien Project, a larger project across the African continent.
“The purpose of the project is to use baseball and softball to develop human resources among young people,” Mr Tomonari said.
“The project targets all African countries and regions. To this end, we will donate baseball equipment, support the maintenance of baseball stadiums, and promote Baseballership Education, leading to the popularization and development of the sport. Furthermore, we aim to hold a national tournament called the Ghana Koshien Tournament”.
The Director of the Technical Department of the National Sports Authority, Mr Kwame Amponfi Junior, commended the partners for their sustained effort to develop the sport over the years.
He said investing in logistics, equipment and training programmes had been proven to be the best route for achieving sporting success.
