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Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter
NATIONAL team baseball coach Washington Nyika has blamed lack of regular competitive action for the slow death of the game in the country.
Zimbabwe doesn’t have a functional national baseball league, leaving the few teams to form city leagues and play friendlies.
“The major let down for baseball in the country is the lack of serious competition. As soon as we have other provinces besides Bulawayo and Harare coming in as major players, we are certain to have the sport making strides.
“Recently we went to South Africa and played some provincial teams there and our assessment was that the performances improved with each game. If we are to play such competitive games more regularly, we will have quality baseball in the country,” said Nyika.
“Looking at the current crop of players we have, all I can say is that we have a capable team.
“Most of our players are still young, meaning they still have a lot of playing years ahead of them. We are appealing to the corporate world for financial help,” he said.
Nyika also said there was need for the country to invest in high performance centres.
“In South Africa they play elite baseball, which is what we as Zimbabwe should be moving towards. After being accorded a chance to play in South Africa, I have realised that we are still far behind in terms of developing the game. Our playing conditions as a national cannot even match those of their colleges; the clubs use international stuff from their bats, gloves, coaches and the pitch. What also makes South African baseball more special is the crowd turn out.”
@innocentskizoe
Bongani Ndlovu