In Ouakam, a popular district of Dakar in the Senegalese capital, some young people come together five times a week to learn how to play baseball.
Baseball gets huge boost in Senegal
A sport that many in Senegal see as a US exclusive, is fast gaining grounds.
Ryoma Ogawa, a young Japanese volunteer is determined to share his passion for the sport in Senegal.
“Here in Ouakam there were’nt many young people that played baseball. there were some interest in it but before i came the kids didn’t know much about it but then they started to play and now the game changed and I’d love to see them play in Japan one day,”
In this country where football and wrestling are major sports, Baseball manages to gradually get some attention.
“I knew nothing about the sports before. he thought me everything its all thanks to him,” Ibra Gueye, baseball team captain.
“Its different from football because in football some players dont move at all but in baseball everyone has to prove themselves.
The Federation of Baseball meanwhile intends to take advantage of this Japanese support to grow the sport in Senegal,” Kader Dème Baseball Team Member.
While there is a nationwide desire, the price of equipment is also a real obstacle to the development of Baseball in Senegal with gloves going for between 23 and 30 euros.
A bat sells for 152 euros, in a country where the minimum wage is less than 56 euros.