World Baseball Community
Ethiopia
Where in the World? Horn of Africa (East Africa) Known For... Coffee, Injera, and Distance Runners Association Year 2013 Community Associations 1 Total Baseball Clubs 1 known "unofficial" club |
The heart of baseball in Ethiopia is in the same town that produces the nation's pride of world-class runners - Bekoji. Priorities for the Bekoji program include refreshing equipment supplies, professional development for club leadership, and securing dedicated land on which to set down a baseball diamond.
|
Kenya
Where in the World?
East Africa Known For... Coffee, Wildlife Safaris, and Distance Runners Association Year 2015 Community Associations 3 Total Baseball Clubs 30+ |
Following in the footsteps of African baseball pioneer countries, South Africa and Uganda, Kenya has been host to developing youth baseball programs for approximately 20 years. Baseball 4 Africa, a key partner of World Baseball Project, has provided essential support, including equipment, training, and competition opportunities, to supplement that of the Kenyan Baseball Federation and various foreign entities.
From Nairobi to Nakuru, from Meru to Mitiku, baseball is alive and well in Kenya. Aspirations for representation in international competition, including the 2020 Summer Olympics in Kenya, are strong and realistic. World Baseball Project supports Kenyan baseball development efforts by increasing international exposure and attention thereon, arranging intercontinental competition for Kenyan clubs, creating sustainable channels for Kenyan partners to receive training and acquire equipment, advocating for corruption-free processes in securing dedicated play spaces, and researching supply chain options for baseball equipment so that Kenya can reduce its dependency on receipt of used, donated equipment from foreign sources. |
Vietnam
Where in the World? Southeast Asia Known For... Pho, Jungles, Rivers, Halong Bay Association Year 2016 Community Associations 1 Total Baseball Clubs 10+ (mostly in Ha Noi) |
While investigating the feasibility of "introducing" baseball in Ho Chi Minh City, we found Coach Thuy, a native of Vietnam, who took a job as a physical education teacher so he could teach baseball to kids from a neighborhood on the outskirts of the city. Thuy fell in love with baseball after learning the game from Korean baseball players and coaches in Vietnam. Thuy's program is not the only baseball happening in Vietnam - a long-established baseball program also exists in Ha Noi, the country's capital, but it's certainly unique in that it was established independently, by a native citizen, rather than direct import from abroad. With little financial, material, or community support to start, Thuy has built an impressive little league program, in only two years, and his boys are hungry for formidable international competition. World Baseball Project's proposed role is to assist in connecting Thuy's program with local coaching and umpiring candidates, researching and arranging international competition opportunities, handling English-language documents, and by providing classroom sessions to strengthen team members' understanding of baseball as a whole while strengthening their English-language baseball capacity, so they will be better prepared for international competition. |