Kenya and Uganda have secured qualification for the WBSC Africa Junior Baseball5 Championships after reaching the final of the ongoing East African Regional Baseball5 Championship in Kampala, Uganda.
The two regional rivals will now battle for the East African title at Hamz Stadium, marking the second consecutive year they have met in the championship match. Kenya heads into the final with confidence after defeating Uganda in the tournament’s opening fixture.
The Kenyan youngsters maintained their unbeaten run throughout the competition. They advanced to the final after being awarded a walkover against South Sudan, which failed to honour its fixture, before reinforcing their title ambitions with a commanding 2-0 victory over Tanzania. Kenya won the sets 10-1 and 11-0 to stay on course in the battle for the regional crown.
The National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) Deputy Secretary General, Francis Karugu, who is in Uganda to support the team, expressed confidence in the squad’s ability to continue flying Kenya’s flag high.
“As one of the African countries set to compete at the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, this November, these championships provide an excellent platform for our players. Only Kenya and the host nation Senegal will represent Africa in Baseball5, and the team competing here will represent Kenya in Dakar,” said Karugu.
He added that his visit was aimed at supporting the players and assessing their preparedness ahead of the Youth Olympics.
“I am here to support the team and evaluate their strength as we prepare for Dakar,” he said.
Uganda booked their place in the final after edging Tanzania 2-1 in a closely contested semifinal, setting up a highly anticipated rematch of last year’s championship decider.
The final presents Kenya with an opportunity to avenge last year’s defeat to the hosts, who denied them the regional title. The Kenyan camp remains confident that it can produce another strong performance and bring the East African Baseball5 trophy back home.
Victory would see Kenya reclaim the regional championship and further underline the country’s growing strength in junior Baseball5 ahead of the continental championships and the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar.