Children were introduced to baseball5 and had the chance to play matches ©WBSC

The recently-crowned champions of the first ever Baseball5 African Championship have showcased the discipline to a group of South African children.

South Africa's baseball5 team, who won the inaugural edition of the continental event last month after beating Kenya 2-0 in the final, introduced the sport to 70 children at the Arnold Classic Sports Festival in Roodepoort.

Supported by the South African Baseball Union, five coaches worked with the children to great effect, with positive feedback from players and the spectators.


Baseball5 is a five-on-five version of the traditional baseball and softball, where teams usually have nine players on the field of play. 

No bat is used in the game, with players hitting a rubber ball by hand.

It was first included at the Arnold Classic Sports Festival in 2018, after the event grew into a multi-sport showcase from a body building competition.

With their victory, the South African team qualified for the first-ever World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Baseball5 World Cup in Mexico, with dates yet to be announced.