By: Josephine Gyebuaah Ntiamoah
President of the Ghana Baseball and Softball Federation, Ernest Danso, says baseball is now a growing sport in Ghana, expanding beyond Accra and Tema.
In an interview with GBC’s Isaac Tetteh on the ‘File’, Mr Ernest Danso emphasized that securing funding was a significant challenge when the sport was limited to Accra and Tema. However, by partnering with funders and technical teams, they have been able to spread the game to Central, Eastern, and Volta Regions.
President Danso highlighted the success of the Urban version team, Baseball Five, which won the Youth Baseball Champions in Africa.
“We’re heading to the World Cup in Morocco in September, having won the championship twice before – once in Ghana in 2023 and again in South Africa.” He stressed. “While visibility has improved, I still acknowledge that vast work needs to be done”.
Regarding infrastructure, Danso noted that the only certified field is the Koshien Ghana Baseball and Softball field at Labone Secondary School, while other regions use football fields to play baseball, improvising with available resources.
“We’re starting with four carefully selected teams to promote professional play and extend our standards, particularly in terms of structures and teams.” He added.
He aims to create long-term structures and budgets that benefit the younger generation. “We lack the necessary facilities to develop baseball, but we’re engaging with potential sponsors who share our long-term goals and can help us establish proper facilities and structures that benefit everyone,” he emphasized
In conclusion, President Danso believes that the challenges facing sports federations often stem from within, and that effective leadership is important, so each head of federation should structure their organization well to avoid excessive challenges.
