The Koshien Baseball Championship is set to be hosted in Ghana from August 31 and September 1 at the Labone SHS field.

Mr. Shinya Tomonari, founder of the Japanese Baseball Softball Foundation (J-ABS) and former manager of Ghana’s national baseball team, the Rising Stars confirmed this during a ceremony at the Ministry of Youth & Sports.

The event also saw the outdooring of the Baseballership Educational Programme which is aimed at developing character and life skills through baseball, built around 55 core principles.

Ten volunteer coaches from Keio University will join ten Ghanaian coaches to implement the Baseball Education Programme in selected schools and communities. After three weeks of training, the most promising athletes will advance to regional teams, leading to the inaugural Ghana Koshien Championship in Accra.

To measure the programme's impact, a research partnership between Keio University and the University of Ghana will study 100 participants. The research will assess the programme’s influence on academic performance, social behaviour, and overall development.

The Ghana Baseball Softball Federation (GBSF) is committed to using baseball as a catalyst for positive change. They believe that investing in youth development through the Baseballership programme is crucial for the growth of sports in Ghana. Mr. Ernest Danso, President of Ghana Baseball, mentioned that other federations could benefit from this concept.

Prof. Takaaki Kato, leader of the delegation to Ghana, and Mr. Shinya Tomonari presented baseball equipment to the GBSF. Prof. Kato noted that Keio University has produced many top players and expressed hope that Ghana will also produce top baseball players.

Mr. Albert K. Frimpong, President of African Baseball, promised to spread the Baseballership programme to other parts of Africa. Chief Representative of JICA Ghana Office, Ms. Suzuki Momoko, attended the ceremony.

The delegation later met with the Deputy Director General of the National Sports Authority (NSA), Alhaji Abdul Majeed Bawah, who called for more technical research to involve the NSA in GBSF activities.



JNA