Baseball push in Limpopo

POLOKWANE  – THE battle for recognition on the province’s baseball pitches is about to intensify, with the game of baseball about to entrench itself in the Mankweng and surroundings communities.

Thabang “Contact Number” Letsoalo, member of the Limpopo Baseball Union, is the brain and driving force behind popularising baseball in the Mankweng area.

He hosts regular training camps at the University of Limpopo’s Turfloop campus and aspiring baseball players were recently taken through their paces by American baseball legend, Homer Wernsing from Ripken Baseball, with the help of top South African Baseball Union coach Stuart Marais.

Giving a review of the ground-breaking practise session, Wernsing says he is amazed at the level of enthu-siasm among the local young people.

“I was very impressed with the rapid progress these kids displayed on the second day of the training camp.

“What was even more amazing was the progress these youngsters showed despite their obvious lack of equipment.

“After just two weeks of this camp, most of them were able to catch, throw, run the bases and bat,” says Wernsing.

An optimistic Wernsing says if these youngsters could get the requisite training and a properly run domestic league, they could even campaign in the star-studded Baseball Major League in the United States.

Baseball is one of the many celebrated sporting codes in America and Wernsing said his fellow countrymen were eager to share their skills.

Letsoalo, who is well known in softball circles as a respected softball player, says he is certain baseball would soon be popular among the local youth.

“I was very impressed by the level of enthusiasm among local youngsters.

“Our bigger plan is to target schools, as there is mass participation there, specifically in the areas in and around Polokwane. Later we will expand the programme to far-flung rural communities,” he says.