US Embassy supports Ghana Baseball and Softball Associations

The United States (US) Embassy has presented various items to the Ghana Baseball and Softball Association (GBSA) to enhance their efforts.

The donation, which included bats, balls and gloves, was expected to be used by the nation’s junior and senior national teams as they prepare for international competitions.

A statement from the U.S. Embassy and copied the Ghana News Agency on Sunday said the staff of the Embassy secured the support through a grant from the J. Kirby Simon Foreign Service Trust.

Jamiu Salami, Ghana national head coach of the GBSA said: “The equipment that was granted to us by the J. Kirby Simon Foreign Service Trust is going to help Ghana’s Little League team in a long way, as we all know that Little League players grow to become big league players,”

"The gift from the Americans will help in the development of baseball in Ghana,” Mr Salami said.

He said baseball and softball means a lot and expressed the hope that more collaborations would be made between U.S. Embassy and other American entities in the country.

He said “I will be most grateful if our dreams of producing Ghanaian players in Major League Baseball become a reality.”

Mr Jano Carlson, the U.S. Embassy Defense Attaché, said “just two months ago, we saw South Africa’s Gift Ngoepe become the first African-born player in Major League Baseball.

We would absolutely love to see Ghanaians also join the ranks of MLB players.

We’ve played some friendly games against Ghanaian teams and have seen first-hand that they are truly exceptional players with tremendous passion for these sports, Mr Carlson said.

Mr Carlson said the donation from the Trust to Ghana’s baseball and softball teams provides much-needed equipment to both teams and hopefully, it would help to grow the bilateral relation and to even attract new players.

The statement said the J. Kirby Simon Foreign Service Trust is a charitable fund established in the memory of Kirby Simon, a Foreign Service officer, who died in 1995 while serving in Taiwan.

The Trust makes small grants on a competitive basis to individuals affiliated with U.S. embassies and consulates around the world.

The Trust is also committed to expanding the opportunities for community service, professional fulfillment and personal well-being of Foreign Service officers, specialists and their families.

It is being funded with contributions from Kirby Simon’s colleagues, friends and relatives.