Summer National School Softball Championship opens in South Africa with 16 teams
The Summer National School Softball Championship opened today in South Africa.
Organised by the Department of Basic Education and the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, softball is part of the programme with both men's and women's events taking place in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng.
The softball tournaments started on Friday 12 December with eight participating teams from across the nation competing in both branches and representing the following provinces: Eastern Cape, Gauteng, Kwazulu - Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North West, and Western Cape.
Both tournaments consist in a two-day single round robin, with the playoffs scheduled on Sunday, 14 December. The top team in the opening round standings will earn spot in the final, while the second-place finisher will sit in the semifinal, waiting for the winner of the matchup between the third and fourth placed teams. A total of 60 games will be contested in the three-day competition.
The U-17 men's and women's softball events play a pivotal role in the junior National Team's selection process.
Currently, South Africa remains as the top African team both in the Men's and Women's Softball World Rankings. The male programme is No. 14 in the world; while the female programme is No. 37.