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Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter
THE Zimbabwe senior baseball team is expected to start its camp at Hamilton High School in preparation for the Easter tournament slated for Durban, South Africa, from April 3-7.
The national side will face South African provincial sides at the annual baseball event.
“The boys will start arriving for camp tomorrow. We are travelling with a 17 member squad to the tournament where we hope to do well.
“The South African provincial sides are very strong because of the high performance academies they have and that places them at a higher level than us,” said national baseball coach Washington Nyika.
Zimbabwe won bronze at last year’s meet and Nyika believes that his charges are capable of doing better at the competition.
He sees the tournament as an opportunity to measure Zimbabwe’s performance levels at an international stage.
“The level of competition for places is very high, which is what every coach wants. Our goal is to assess the players and incorporate new boys into the squad. We are keen to do well in South Africa and are working hard to ensure that.
“In South Africa they play Elite baseball, which is what we as Zimbabwe are moving towards. Working with experienced guys like Bart Bratcher, a technical expert, helped us a lot and now it’s time to put what he taught us into practice,” Nyika said.
In preparation for the tournament, the team held a training camp in December conducted by United States coach Bratcher. Last month seasoned coach Americo Juma took the provisional 35-man squad through a gruelling three-day training programme.
Online Reporter