Beninese Baseball and Softball Federation: The Cotonou League launches its activities

A few months after their election at the head of the Beninese Federation of Baseball and Softball, President Fernando Lavenir Atannon and his peers do not sleep under their laurels. They are already working to promote this sport in Benin. This is why after the establishment of the departmental leagues, they were quick to kick off the sports season through the Cotonou league championship.

The objective is to find a team that can represent Benin as part of the sub-regional campaign from U-9 to U-12 called Major Division which will bring together five countries in Nigeria this year.. In doing so, the members of the executive committee of the Beninese Baseball Federation will have given substance to their vision at the start of their mandate (that of carrying high the flag of Benin through this sport little known to all). “I have the development of baseball in Benin at heart and I have been offered a second chance” said the president of the Beninese Baseball Federation Fernando Lavenir Atannon just after his re-election on 7 September 2022.

This is to say that this sporting discipline has a bright future ahead of it.. And it is so as not to waste too much time that the departmental leagues are called upon. After their installation, place is therefore made for the competitions themselves by the league of the economic capital of Benin. After the inaugural meeting, a baseball formation is already well illustrated through its qualification for the next round. This is Galaxy baseball academy which disposed of its counterpart Black stars (13-02). “I saw that there is a lot of enthusiasm at the level of children. And, that's what we want. There have been a lot of strategies in the game and it is very interesting. We need these intense moments for baseball to develop very quickly in Benin. We need these kinds of competitions very often to raise the level of our little athletes., said the boss of Beninese baseball. Also he is already projecting himself into the future with regard to his ambitions to really reveal baseball in Benin. “The level is very satisfactory. I toured the sub-region a bit and saw the athletes. So, I can tell myself that we will be able to offer ourselves a chance on the African level by starting at the regional level” he affirms. He took advantage of the launch of activities at the level of the Cotonou league to invite the other departmental leagues to get into the dance so that the ambassadors of Benin in the sub-regional competition are known as soon as possible.. These are the leagues of Bohicon, of Cocotomey and Calavi.

Edmond HOUESSIKINDE