Softball team ready for world champs

Botswana’s softball national men’s team is aiming to finish in top 8 at the upcoming World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC). The international competition is scheduled for 7th July in Whitehorse Yukon, Canada.

In a recent interview national men’s team head coach Pako Maforaga said he does not expect anything less than top 8 from his charges in Canada. Botswana was last represented at the world showpiece in 2009 and this year’s event is expected to attract about 20 countries from different continents.

Maforaga does not seem fazed by the competition at the world stage. Following their triumph against South Africa in an international friendly in Gaborone this past weekend, the coach believes that his team is ready to make the country proud in Yukon.

Maforaga said the aim is to use the friendly games to gauge and identify gaps and holes in the team. “There is still room for adjustments and with the little time we have left. I am confident that we shall prevail,” he said.

The coach says he still needs to put more effort in his offensive, noting that his men struggled a bit when it came to high balls hence the need for improvement.

Pitching wise, he was more than impressed with how they managed to contain team SA and applauded the team for handling themselves like true professionals on the day. Moreover, the enthusiastic coach said he expects to take his first three matches head-on; he is scheduled to face Great Britain on the first day followed by Japan and Denmark the following day.

“Those countries are not great powerhouses or anything, we shall take them head on, resource wise we cannot rate them much higher than us, we can still match their preparedness. We are in a good position to battle to the bitter end,” he assured.

One of his catchers Thabiso Radithobane had sustained an injury, however according to Maforaga, he has been declared medically fit. “My team is free from major injuries which in most cases are a result of muscle fatigue,” said the coach.