Cape Town: Team Kenya Baseball scooped silver, best coach, and player awards during the intercontinental baseball championship held at Western Cape Sports School in Cape Town, South Africa. Team Kenya, ranked 15th worldwide, managed to beat Tunisia and the host, South Africa, ranked fifth and eighth, respectively, to qualify for the November Youth Baseball World Cup in Mexico.
According to Kenya News Agency, the Kenyan team also triumphed over Zimbabwe and Lesotho before losing the final to Ghana. The Intercontinental Baseball Champions tournament featured six teams that qualified from their respective regions, with Kenya reaching South Africa after emerging top in East Africa.
The team, led by Kenya Baseball Coach Joel Wangicho, made a courtesy call to the Migori County Department of Sports, expressing their hope to excel in the upcoming World Cup Baseball Championship in Mexico. Wangicho, who also won the best coach in Africa award, stated that the experience in South Africa has provided Kenya with a solid platform to develop baseball further.
Migori County was notably represented by producing six out of the eight players in the Kenyan team, highlighting the county’s potential as a sports hub. Wangicho remarked that baseball is relatively new worldwide, and Kenya has a promising chance to perform better in the upcoming November World Cup.
The Baseball Federation of Kenya has established a branch in Migori to tap and nurture the rich talent in the county. Best Men Player of the tournament, Peter Okinyi, a native of Migori County, stated that the tournament was an eye-opener for future tournaments. As the captain of the under-18 Kenya Baseball Team, Okinyi noted that the tournament would inspire future generations and nurture youth talents.
The team called upon the county government of Migori to improve their rough training ground to better prepare for the upcoming World Cup. The Kenya team had been practicing in Migori before heading to the international championships in South Africa.
Migori County Chief Officer in Charge of Sports, Roseline Atieno, expressed pride in the six players from Migori and assured the team that the county would enhance their training infrastructure to provide a conducive environment as they prepare for the World Cup in Mexico later this year.