WBSC Africa, formerly known as the African Baseball and Softball Association (ABSA), is the governing body of baseball and softball within Africa. There are 27 members.
The confederation is responsible for operation of Baseball at the All-Africa Games and the Africa Cup Baseball Championship, last held in 2019.
South Africa is the only African country to compete in baseball at the Summer Olympics, in 2000, or World Baseball Classic, in 2006 and 2009.
The Tunisia Baseball5 team has reached the highest WBSC ranking of any African club, ranking second in the world in May 2024 after winning the Baseball5 African Championship.
History
The Africa Baseball and Softball Association (ABSA) was formed on June 8, 1990, in Lagos, Nigeria. The founding countries, 9 in number, were Angola, Botswana, Ghana, Lesotho, Namibia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The executive committee unanimously appointed at the inaugural meeting included Malcolm Burne (Zimbabwe) as president, Russell Bartlett (Namibia) as first vice president, Ray Pitcher (Zambia) as second vice president, Brigadier Ishola Williams (Nigeria) as secretary general, Lieutenant Colonel L Gwadabe (Nigeria) as assistant secretary general and Ndi Okereke-Onyiuke (Nigeria) as treasurer. The executive director of the International Baseball Association (IBA), David Osinski was present at the inaugural meeting. The meeting was declared open by the then Minister of Sports of Nigeria, Air Commodore Anthony Ikhazoboh.
The 1st ABSA Congress was organised in 1992 in Harare, Zimbabwe. Thereafter 6 congresses have been held, with the 2nd held in 1993 in Cape Town, South Africa, the 3rd in 1994 in Johannesburg, South Africa, the 4th in 1995 in Harare, Zimbabwe, the 5th in 1996 in Lagos, Nigeria at which a new executive committee was elected to replace the appointed one. This Executive Committee comprised Major General Ishola Williams (Nigeria) as president, Ray Pitcher (Zambia) as vice president baseball, Matthews Kutumela (South Africa) as vice president softball, Etienne N’Guessan (Côte d'Ivoire) as secretary general and Fridah Shiroya (Kenya) as treasurer.
Also in 1996, responsibility for the promotion and development of the games was devolved to zones, and zonal coordinators were appointed as follows: zonal chairman North Africa Zone – Mohammed Ben Guiza (Tunisia), zonal chairman East and Central Africa Zone – Solomon Gacece (Kenya), zonal coordinator West Africa Zone – Ndi Okereke-Onyiuke (Nigeria), and zonal chairman Southern Africa Zone – Edwin Bennett.
The Sixth Congress was held in 2001 in Minna, Nigeria. Françoise Kameni Lele (Cameroon) was elected treasurer and the 7th Congress in 2006 in Nairobi, Kenya. At the Seventh Congress, Major General Ishola Williams was confirmed as president, Fridah Shiroya was elected vice president softball, and Mabothobile Shebe (Lesotho) was elected secretary general.
The first Africa Cup Baseball Championship was organised in 1992 in Harare, Zimbabwe with four countries participating, with South Africa winning, Zimbabwe finishing second, Nigeria third, and Zambia fourth. The second Africa Cup Baseball Championship in 1993 in Cape Town, South Africa, the third Africa Cup Baseball Championship in 1995 in Harare, and the fourth Africa Cup Championship in 2001 in Kampala, Uganda.
The first time baseball featured in the All-Africa Games was in 1999 in the seventh All-Africa Games in South Africa, and the second time was in 2003 at the eighth All-Africa Games in Nigeria. South Africa won both tournaments.
The first age-group baseball tournament organised by the ABSA was the 1st ABSA/KENKO Under-13 Baseball Tournament, with teams from four countries participating: winners South Africa as well as Kenya, Lesotho, and Zimbabwe.
The ABSA also organized AA Under-15, AAA Under-17, club championships and Little League competitions.
Members
Baseball Association National teams Founded Membership IOC memberNote BEN Benin (M, W) 2018 Full BUR Burkina Faso (M, W) 2004 Full CMR Cameroon (M, W) 1997 Full CPV Cape Verde (M, W) 2020 Full CHA Chad(M, W)2005 COD Congo (M, W) 2010 Full EGY Egypt (M, W) 2018 Full GHA Ghana (M, W) 1992 Full CIV Ivory Coast (M, W) 1996 Full KEN Kenya (M, W) 1997 Full LES Lesotho (M, W) 1994 Full NIG Niger(M, W)2018Provisional NGR Nigeria (M, W) 1989 Full SLE Sierra Leone (M, W) 2021 Full RSA South Africa (M, W) 1935 Full SSD South Sudan(M, W)2020Full TAN Tanzania (M, W) 2014 Full TOG Togo (M, W) 1996 Full TUN Tunisia (M, W) 1920 Full UGA Uganda (M, W) 1989 Full ZAM Zambia (M, W) 1979 Full ZIM Zimbabwe (M, W) 1952 Full
Former members These nations were members in the IBF but do not currently have membership in the WBSC and are not listed on WBSC Africa's website . Association National teams Angola (M, W) Botswana(M, W) Liberia (M, W) Morocco (M, W) Namibia (M, W)
Softball Association National teams Founded Membership IOC memberNote BEN Benin (M, W) 2018 Full BOT Botswana (M, W) 1977 Full BUR Burkina Faso (M, W) 2004 Full CMR Cameroon (M, W) 1997 Full CPV Cape Verde (M, W) 2020 Full CHA Chad(M, W)2005Full EGY Egypt (M, W) 2018 Full GAM Gambia (M, W) 2009 Full GHA Ghana (M, W) 1992 Full GUI Guinea(M, W)2008Provisional KEN Kenya (M, W) 1986 Full LES Lesotho (M, W) 1994 Full NIG Niger(M, W)2018Full NGR Nigeria (M, W) 1989 Full SEN Senegal (M, W) 2000 Full RSA South Africa (M, W) 1994 Full SSD South Sudan(M, W)2020Full TAN Tanzania (M, W) 2014 Full TUN Tunisia (M, W) 1920 Full UGA Uganda (M, W) 1989 Full ZAM Zambia (M, W) 1979 Full ZIM Zimbabwe (M, W) 2008 Full
Former members These nations are not listed on WBSC Africa's website . Association National teams Congo(M, W) Guinea-Bissau (M, W) Ivory Coast (M, W) Liberia (M, W) Mali (M, W) Namibia (M, W) Sierra Leone (M, W)
WBSC World Rankings Baseball
Softball
Baseball5
Historical leaders Highest Ranked Africa member in the WBSC Rankings
Men's baseball
Men's softball
Women's softball
Baseball5
See also World Baseball Softball Confederation Baseball awards#Africa
References
External links African Baseball and Softball Association Baseball and Softball for Africa