Cap tip – Blair Setford

From the Dispatch Online

Softball stronger in this province

SOFTBALL has been through the throes of a difficult period the past few years, but the sport has emerged stronger in this province against all expectations.

The health of the sport will come into sharp focus this year when the Eastern Cape Softball Federation host the men and women’s Major League national inter-provincial championships in March.

The matches will be played at East London’s Phillip Kahts Softball Stadium from March 23-27 when the five provinces – Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Limpopo, Western Province plus University Sport SA (USSA Softball) – will go head to head for early-season glory.

Eastern Cape will get the tournament up and swinging at 6pm when the provincial men’s team meet a yet-to-be named opponent after the opening ceremony on March 23.

To ensure it is all smooth sailing the Softball SA technical team will conduct clinics from March 21-23 to bring umpires and scorers up to speed with the new rule changes and the tournament programme.

The five-day tournament will be home to about 360 participants including players, coaches, managers, doctors, first- aiders, head of delegations, scorers, umpires, a tournament director, the local organising committee and a six-man SSA delegation.
The tournament director Mzondeleli Qotoyi is looking to an exciting event, which will give the sport much-needed exposure.

“Personally I am very excited to show the whole country what we can do. We ran a successful university softball tournament last year and we will prove that it was no fluke by having another successful championship,” he said yesterday.
“Softball in the province is growing since 2006 and the team has had great success last year and we are expecting great things (from them) in the future.”

The Eastern Cape side will get the opportunity to fine-tune their preparations for the championships at the Gordon Monk tournament to be held from January 29-31.
All stakeholders including the government, National Sport Council, Provincial and Amathole Sport Council, Border Chamber of Business, Kat Leisure group board, various sponsors and the media have been invited to the event.

“We are engaging the Buffalo City Municipality, the Bhisho government, the Border Chamber of Business and Kat Leisure for the tournament. I can only say more once we have concluded our meetings with these stakeholders. But we want to set a high standard for the tournament and I am excited that we can achieve this,” said Qotoyi. – By KARIEM HASSAN

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