WBSC Africa explained

WBSC Africa
Type:International sport federation
Purpose:Sport governing body
Headquarters:Minna, Nigeria
Region Served:Africa
Membership:24
Language:English
Leader Title:President
Leader Name:Ishola Williams
Parent Organization:World Baseball Softball Confederation

The WBSC Africas, formerly known as, African Baseball and Softball Association (ABSA), is the governing body of baseball and softball within Africa. As of June 2011, there are 24 members.

The confederation is responsible for operation of Baseball at the All-Africa Games.

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 1st vice president, Ray Pitcher (Zambia) as 2nd 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 6th Congress was held in 2001 in Minna, Nigeria, at which Françoise Kameni Lele (Cameroon) was elected treasurer and the 7th Congress in 2006 in Nairobi, Kenya. At the 7th 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 1st Africa Cup Baseball Championship was organised in 1992 in Harare, Zimbabwe with only 4 countries participating with the final standings as follows: South Africa – 1st, Zimbabwe – 2nd, Nigeria – 3rd and Zambia – 4th. The 2nd Africa Cup Baseball Championship in 1993 in Cape Town, South Africa, the 3rd Africa Cup Baseball Championship in 1995 in Harare, Zimbabwe, the 4th Africa Cup Championship in 2001 in Kampala, Uganda. The first time baseball featured in the All-Africa Games was in 1999 in the 7th All-Africa Games in South Africa and the second time was in 2003 in the 8th All-Africa Games in Nigeria.

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: Kenya, Lesotho, South Africa and Zimbabwe which was won by South Africa.

The competitions organised by the ABSA now include the Africa Cup, the AA Under-15, the AAA Under-17, the Club Championship and the Little League.

Members

Baseball

Association National teamsFoundedMembershipIOC
member
Note
BEN Benin(M, W)2018Full
BOT Botswana(M, W)2008Full
BUR Burkina Faso(M, W)2004Full
CMR Cameroon(M, W)1997Full
CPV Cape Verde(M, W)2020Full
COD Congo(M, W)2010Full
EGY Egypt(M, W)2018Full
GHA Ghana(M, W)1992Full
CIV Ivory Coast(M, W)1996Full
KEN Kenya(M, W)1997Full
LES Lesotho(M, W)1994Full
NGR Nigeria(M, W)1989Full
SLE Sierra Leone(M, W)2021Full
RSA South Africa(M, W)1935Full
TAN Tanzania(M, W)2014Full
TOG Togo(M, W)Full
TUN Tunisia(M, W)1920Full
UGA Uganda(M, W)1989Full
ZAM Zambia(M, W)Full
ZIM Zimbabwe(M, W)1952Full

Former members

Association National teams
Angola(M, W)
Chad(M, W)
Liberia(M, W)
Morocco(M, W)
Namibia(M, W)
Niger(M, W)

Softball

Association National teamsFoundedMembershipIOC
member
Note
BEN Benin(M, W)2018Full
BOT Botswana(M, W)1977Full
BUR Burkina Faso(M, W)2004Full
CMR Cameroon(M, W)1997Full
CPV Cape Verde(M, W)2020Full
COD Congo(M, W)2010Full
EGY Egypt(M, W)2018Full
GAM Gambia(M, W)2009Full
GHA Ghana(M, W)1992Full
KEN Kenya(M, W)1986Full
LES Lesotho(M, W)1994Full
NGR Nigeria(M, W)1989Full
SEN Senegal(M, W)2000Full
RSA South Africa(M, W)1994Full
TAN Tanzania(M, W)2014Full
TUN Tunisia(M, W)1920Full
UGA Uganda(M, W)1989Full
ZAM Zambia(M, W)Full
ZIM Zimbabwe(M, W)2008Full

Former members

Association National teams
Guinea(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

Historical leaders

Highest Ranked Africa member in the WBSC Rankings

Men's baseball

ImageSize = width:150 height:500PlotArea = left:40 right:0 bottom:5 top:10DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyyPeriod = from:31/12/2012 till:02/11/2023ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:1 start:31/12/2012TimeAxis = orientation:vertical format:yyyy

Colors = id:RSA value:green

PlotData= bar:Leaders width:25 mark:(line,black) align:left fontsize:S

from:31/12/2012 till:02/11/2023 shift:(20,-12) text:"South Africa" color:RSA

Men's softball

ImageSize = width:150 height:500PlotArea = left:40 right:0 bottom:5 top:10DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyyPeriod = from:31/12/2016 till:26/04/2023ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:1 start:31/12/2016TimeAxis = orientation:vertical format:yyyy

Colors = id:RSA value:green

PlotData= bar:Leaders width:25 mark:(line,black) align:left fontsize:S

from:31/12/2016 till:26/04/2023 shift:(20,-12) text:"South Africa" color:RSA

Women's softball

ImageSize = width:150 height:500PlotArea = left:40 right:0 bottom:5 top:10DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyyPeriod = from:31/12/2016 till:10/11/2023ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:1 start:31/12/2016TimeAxis = orientation:vertical format:yyyy

Colors = id:BOT value:blue id:RSA value:green

PlotData= bar:Leaders width:25 mark:(line,black) align:left fontsize:S

from:31/12/2016 till:17/12/2018 shift:(20,-8) text:"Botswana" color:BOT from:17/12/2018 till:10/11/2023 shift:(20,-9) text:"South Africa" color:RSA

See also

External links