Kenya's Baseball5 team poses for a photo during the South African Region World Cup in Botswana/HANDOUTKenya’s Junior Baseball5 team will head to the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Senegal brimming with confidence after registering convincing victories at the South African Region World Cup in Botswana.
Head coach Joel Wangichu hopes his charges can maintain their impressive form at the Youth Olympics, scheduled for October 30 to November 13.
Kenya opened its Botswana campaign with a dominant straight-sets win over Lesotho. They won the first set 26-2 before completing the sweep with a commanding 9-0.
They then maintained their momentum against hosts Botswana, recording a resounding 19-0 victory to underline their growing confidence ahead of the global assignment. Wangichu was impressed by the team’s performance, particularly given the circumstances under which the players joined the competition.
“They played well despite coming directly from their respective schools. They had both determination and fire. We hope they maintain the momentum when we go to Dakar,” said the coach.
Team chaperone Caroline Njeru echoed similar sentiments, saying the team's progress reflects growth. “Baseball5 is growing and shining. We are proud of the progress we are making, and we hope the team will bring home a gold medal,” she said. Baseball Kenya Federation secretary-general, Patrick Dunda, said Team Kenya were in high spirits after their exploits in Botswana. “This tournament is a good build-up ahead of the Dakar Games,” said Dunda.
The championship is providing Kenya with valuable match practice as the team steps up preparations for the Youth Olympics, where they will compete in Group B alongside France, Mexico and Syria. Kenya will open their campaign against France on October 30 before taking on Mexico on October 31 and Syria on November 1.
Pool A features world number one Cuba, Chinese Taipei, Turkey and hosts Senegal. Kenya will be among Africa’s representatives at the Games alongside Senegal, with the team hoping to translate their impressive performances in Botswana into a strong showing on the global stage.
