The president of the Nigeria Baseball and Softball Federation, Uche Odozor, says plans are underway to position Nigeria as the headquarters of baseball and softball in Africa.

Mr Odozor disclosed this in an interview on Thursday in Abuja, stating that the country is ready to take the lead in developing sports across the continent.

Mr Odozor, who is also the president of the World Baseball and Softball Confederation Africa, said Nigeria’s new continental role presents a major opportunity to promote baseball, softball, and the emerging variant known as Baseball5.

He described Africa as a growing hub for baseball, adding that the continent has become a source of quality and resilient athletes for Major League Baseball.

“Africa has become the strongest fertile ground for the development and supply of Major League Baseball players. What you find on the continent are quality players, very resilient, very tough, and very fast,” he said.

He, however, noted that the lack of proper leadership had hindered the full development of the sport in Africa.

Odozor said baseballers were among the highest-earning athletes in global sports history.

“Take, for instance, Shohei Ohtani, a Japanese player with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who signed a record $760 million deal. Another player from the New York Giants who moved to the Toronto Blue Jays earned over $513 million. Baseball is fashionable, it’s a lifestyle, and it’s a global phenomenon,” he said.

According to him, regions such as the Arabian Peninsula and Asia are already investing heavily in baseball, adding that Africa has the potential to build a strong economy around the sport.

He said Nigeria’s leadership role in WBSC Africa would also involve developing Baseballw, a fast-growing, accessible version of the sport that can be played anywhere.

“It’s a culture, it inspires values, and it is a social lifestyle that should be inculcated. This position for Nigeria means we can do much more, including establishing the African headquarters of baseball and softball here,” he said.

Mr Odozor identified the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja and the Ilorin Baseball Facility in Kwara as world-class centres that could serve the purpose.

He thanked President Bola Tinubu, chairman of the National Sports Commission, Shehu Dikko, and the director-general of the NSC, Bukola Olopade, for their support in securing Nigeria’s continental leadership role.

“It wasn’t an easy contest, but we won. We are now steering the leadership of baseball and softball in Africa,” he said.

Mr. Odozor said the federation’s next major activity would be the introduction of baseball and softball at the 27th Nigeria University Games, scheduled to take place from November 6 to 16 at the University of Jos, Plateau.

According to him, the approved sports for the event include rugby, tennis, table tennis, athletics, badminton, basketball, chess, cricket, handball, judo, and taekwondo. Others include Scrabble, swimming, football, volleyball, hockey, boxing, e-sports, rowing, yachting, karate, beach volleyball, and squash.

Mr Odozor  emerged as the president of WBSC Africa Congress, held in Bangkok, Thailand, in October. 

(NAN)