Author: Victoria Nana Adwoa Kwofie
The Koshien Baseball Park in Accra came alive over the past two days, hosting the inaugural Koshien Championship. The event, filled with excitement and intense competition, saw Team Accra emerge victorious over Team Tema in a closely contested final, winning 12-9.
Dickson Osei Poku, Coach of Team Accra, expressed his gratitude in an interview, saying, “This is how far God has brought us, and we give thanks to Him and the organizers for giving us the opportunity to exhibit our talents. The sport was introduced in our district three years ago by the Ghana Baseball Federation, and I happened to be one of the Physical Education teachers who attended the workshop.
“Since then, I’ve taken it upon myself to groom the boys and girls in my school who have the potential in baseball. This is how we started, and this is how far God has brought us.”
When asked about his vision for the future of the sport, he said, “The future is great. If we continue to provide the necessary tools, equipment, and training, these boys and girls will go far.”
Albert K. Frimpong, President of the WBSC Africa, praised the commitment of the current administration, stating, “I like the dedication and commitment of this administration because we couldn’t make it happen before, but this administration has achieved it, and that is a big plus for Ghana Baseball.
The partnership between Japan’s J-Abs and GBSF, and most importantly the Baseballership education, is very good. This kind of activity instills commitment, discipline, and involvement in the players.
Some of the kids were introduced to the game just three weeks ago, and look at how they played today. Imagine what they could achieve in six months; it would be wonderful for Ghana and the rest of the continent.”
Albert further added, “The plan is to spread the program across Africa. Currently, Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria, and now Ghana have experienced it. In the next few days, Africa will sign a partnership with J-Abs to ensure every African country can take part in Baseballership.”
Mr. Ernest Danso, President of the Ghana Baseball and Softball Federation, shared his excitement, saying, “As President and a Federation, we are thrilled about this. It is the first of its kind, and hopefully, it will become an annual event, increasing the number of participating teams from four. We have working offices in Eastern and Central regions, and the rest will follow because we are tasked with developing the sport, and we are working towards that.”
He called on corporate entities for support, stating, “We are appealing to corporate Ghana to come and support and partner with us. In life, what you build is what you have, and trust me, some of these young players could turn around and work for them. I want to thank the Japanese community, JICA, and various individuals for bringing this initiative to life and for the equipment and development programs that have been very instrumental.”
The Founder of J-Abs, Mr. Shinya Tomonari expressed joy over the successful event, saying, “We are very happy for the first Ghana Koshien tournament after 13 years of planning. It is a dream come true, and I am happy to be part of it. I witnessed many of the players show great sportsmanship, and that is what we want to achieve through Baseballership. We will continue to nurture young players, and I am impressed with the officials and the players for their participation.”
With the successful launch of the Ghana Koshien Championship in Ghana, the future of baseball and softball in the country looks promising, paving the way for the sport’s growth across the continent.
Joseph Awudi and Jessica Dorpenyo were adjourned most valuable players in the male and female categories. Kojo Leslie also won the most disciplined player of the tournament.