Six VUT male softball players boost SA squad for the World Baseball Softball Confederation African Qualifiers
By: Vusi Zwane & Puleng Maphisa – 05 March 2024
A whopping total number of six players from the Vaal University of Technology (VUT) men’s softball team have secured their spot in a squad that will proudly represent South Africa in the upcoming World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) African Qualifiers.
Lucas Ledwaba, Kiddo Malematja, Mogau Thupudi, Mandla Matswenyane, Nkomori Chepape, and Kagiso Aphane will wear the national colours at the games that kicked off on 28 February, and ended 02 March 2024, in Limpopo. During these games, South Africa, which is ranked number 16 in the world, hosted Botswana and Lesotho to battle it out for the two tickets to the biggest men’s softball tournament in the world which set to be jointly hosted by Canada and the United States, spanning from 12 – 16 June 2024.
In these games, VUT takes great pride in serving as the standard-bearer for its players who form an integral part of the WBSC team representing South Africa. The selection of the six students is an immense honour that reflects the exceptional calibre of the VUT athletes. This embodies the spirit of excellence that characterises our institution and exemplifies what it means to be outstanding maVUTi players.
For years, VUT Softball has enjoyed the reputation of producing quality players and has been a feeder to the national team – a legacy which the institution intends to carry forward. According to Tebogo Mapheto, the Sports officer responsible for softball and volleyball at VUT, the selection didn’t come as a surprise. He says VUT’s dominance at the University Sports South Africa (USSA) national games and the Gauteng Softball Association (GASA) is the one that lead us to this kind of achievement for our institution. “We are very grateful as VUT Sport for the development of these athletes to be mentioned amongst the best in the country and representing the nation,” he said, adding that furthermore they are thankful for the support structure of VUT when it comes to the student athletes.
The WBSC, serving as the outstanding world governing body for baseball, softball, and baseball5, boasts an extensive reach with 208 National Federation members across 141 countries and territories across Asia, Africa, the Americas, Europe, and Oceania. As the recognized governing body for these sports, the WBSC holds a crucial role in overseeing all international competitions. Its authority extends to exclusive rights for competitions, tournaments, and world championships involving national teams, including the illustrious Olympic Games. The privilege of organising and selecting national teams is granted to WBSC-associated federations.