Japan-Africa Baseball & Softball Foundation: Africa 55 Koshien Project reaches Cameroon and Zambia
The Africa 55 Koshien Project aims to organise Koshien-style baseball tournaments in Africa. Tanzania pioneered the idea and Ghana will follow in August.
The Japan-Africa Baseball & Softball Foundation (J-ABS) has signed partnership agreements in Cameroon and Zambia.
"We will carry out human resources development and educational activities in the two countries," stated J-ABS in a press release. "The ultimate goal is to hold a Koshien-style baseball tournament in both countries."
The Cameroon and Zambia ambassadors to Japan support the project, which is part of the Africa 55 Koshien Project.
Tanzania has developed a Koshien-style baseball championship and Ghana is scheduled to follow in August. Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, South Sudan, Benin and newcomers Cameroon and Zambia plan to launch their championships soon.
J-ABS's partner and former Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) and Major League Baseball (MLB) superstar Hideki Matsui commented: "While playing professional baseball, I realised how wonderful the mentality I learned in Japan was; I can understand how J-ABS is working in Africa."
Matsui commented in the J-ABS video below, saying: "I think Japan's baseball culture is the best in the world. I hope that many people will watch this video because it shows activities to convey the goodness of Japanese baseball to Africa rather than just aiming to win. It makes me want to go to Africa, too."
