Baseball juniors on Taiwan mission
Outside of the time-consuming baseball routine, both boys enjoy a multitude of other sports, listing cricket, soccer and athletics as his other pursuits. Luke also enjoys soccer, hockey, cricket and does cross-country.
Two promising Benoni Indians juniors have temporarily abandoned their primary school classrooms for the international baseball arena.
Connor Steyn (11) and Luke Emmett (11) are on the trip of a lifetime, representing South Africa at the WBSC u-12 Baseball World Cup in Tianang, Taiwan, until August 4.
The fortnight-long tournament brings together all the top baseball-playing nations at u-12 level. The boys will be exposed to some of the best exponents of the sport in the world in their age group.
The two junior sluggers were involved in intensive regional Gauteng training camps in Ekurhuleni under the watchful eyes of national u-12 coach Colin Barrrett ahead of their departure to Taiwan.
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Luke, a Grade Five learner at Farrarmere Primary School, and Connor, who is in Grade Six at Parkrand Primary School in Boksburg, have had a baseball bat in hand ever since they could remember. Their unbridled enthusiasm was palpable, but both seemed overwhelmed by the sudden attention at times.
“I’m really excited. This is a life-changing opportunity. We will go there and show them who SA is,” said Connor, the taller of the two boys, who is a third baseman and pitcher. “They are tough teams to beat, but we will try our best.”
The more quietly confident Luke, who interchanges between second base, short stop and catcher, is following in the footsteps of his older sibling Robert, who also went to Taiwan with the national squad in 2017.
“It’s kind of just a family tradition. I watched my older brother when I was younger and it looked like fun, so I also took it up,” said Luke.
