Help players get to Colombia for Baseball World Cup in August
They each need to raise R50 000 to take part in the tournament in Colombia.
Five Eastern Baseball Association (EBA) players need your help to travel to Colombia to represent SA in the 20th World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U15 World Cup from August 15 to 24.
Joshua Cook, Ethan Foley, Liam van der Westhuizen, Logan Gardener and Caylum de Wet must raise R50 000 to cover their flight tickets, visas and kit before August.
They are part of head coach Clive Pretorius’ 26-man squad selected for the global showpiece. Cook, Foley and Van der Westhuizen are part of the travelling squad, while Gardener and De Wet are in the non-travelling reserves.
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Cook and Gardener are part of the Benoni Indians, while Foley, Van der Westhuizen and De Wet play for the Boksburg Cardinals.
This is Cook’s second successive world cup after being part of the SA team for the U12 global showpiece in Taiwan. De Wet and Gardener were also part of that team, albeit as non-travelling reserves.
In the tournament, Benoni Indians coach Gareth Long will also represent the EBA and Gauteng Province Baseball Council (GPBC) as a technical team member.
Western Cape dominance
In addition to the five players from Gauteng, the Western Cape dominates the squad with 18 players. There are two from Limpopo and another two from Nelson Mandela Bay. The travelling team comprises 20 players, while six are non-travelling reserves.
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They made selection to the squad after a comprehensive selection process, which included reviewing their performances at the national baseball championships in Gqeberha in April.
SA, the only representative of the African continent, was drawn in group B alongside Mexico, Chinese Taipei, Venezuela, Netherlands and Nicaragua.
The South African Baseball Federation president, Marc Moreau, urged the players to represent the country with pride and distinction.
“I’m immensely proud of our U15 national team and am eager to see how much our players have grown since their last international outing,” he said.
“I extend my best wishes to all athletes, coaches and staff involved as they prepare to meet the challenges of competing on the global stage.”
To donate, go to www.backabuddy.co.za/campaign/south-africa-15u-baseball-wbsc or contact Sandy White on 079 887 0260 for more info.
