A hitting demonstration during last week's softball activities in Banjul.

MORE SOFTBALL ACTIVITY IN GAMBIA
2011-03-10

The Gambia Softball Association has only been in existence for a couple years, but the sport continues to make advances in the West African country. Next month will mark two years since an African Softball Forum was hosted there. And this month the Gambian capital of Banjul was again at the center of activity in the sport thanks to Olympafrica.

In August 2009 the International Softball Federation had signed a memorandum of understanding with Olympafrica and the two parties worked together on a three-day clinic that was put on in the Sudan last April.

Last week representatives from the Olympafrica Centre Serekunda East visited the Greater Banjul Upper Basic School as a follow-up program with the Physical Education teachers from the schools around the centre.

Some time ago, the Gambia Softball Association had trained the PE teachers on how to play the game. Officials from the Centre took it upon themselves to ensure that the PE teachers had implemented what they were taught, in terms of training students and other teachers in the sports department.

During last week’s activities, the students warmed up (stretching), then, guided by Mr. Musa Fatty of the Olympafrica Centre and a PE teacher, prepared for hands-on learning and then actually playing softball. There was both male and female participation and it was felt that the students performed up to the expectations.

In a concluding report, thanks was expressed for support by the Gambia National Olympic Committee, Olympafrica, and all involved from the Greater Banjul Upper Basic School (pupils, staff, sports department, and the head of the school).

The world of softball will come to that continent later this year when the 16-nation ISF IX Jr. Women’s World Championship (19-and-under, fast pitch) takes place from December 6-17 in Cape Town, South Africa.