Japan-Africa Baseball and Softball Foundation helps South Sudan's Jennifer Pasquale Owan chase softball dream

The Japan-Africa Baseball and Softball Foundation (J-ABS) invited Jennifer Pasquale Owan, a 19-year-old softball player from South Sudan, to Japan for 10 days of intensive training and cultural experiences.

Owan is a second-year student at United States International University-Africa (Kenya), majoring in Information Systems Technology. She experienced life in displacement camps away from her family during the armed clashes that occurred in South Sudan in 2013 and 2016. She discovered softball in 2019, aged 13.

Having landed in Tokyo on Wednesday, March 11, Owan's 11-day itinerary in Japan includes participation in the Sammy Japan Masters Cup (March 13-15), an exchange event in Tokyo on March 16, and a courtesy call to Maebashi City Mayor Akira Ogawa on March 19. From March 17 to 20, she will train with the Maebashi Ikuei and the Maebashi Joshi High Schools. Former head coach of the Japan Women's Softball National Team, Taeko Utsugi, will oversee her softball training. Utsugi led Japan to a silver medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and a bronze medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics. She is a Member at Large on the WBSC Executive Board.

Established in December 2019, the Japan-Africa Baseball and Softball Foundation aims to "create a future for Africa and Japan through the power of baseball and softball". Their flagship Africa 55 Koshien Project seeks to establish national tournaments across 54 African countries and one region over 25 years. As of March 2026, they operate in partnership with federations in 12 African countries. Tanzania is the most successful initiative, with its Koshien-style High School Championships in baseball and softball, but J-ABS also developed a Koshien-style event in Ghana and Kenya. Nigeria, South Sudan, Benin, Cameroon and Zambia plan to launch their championships soon

J-ABS Director Shinya Tomonari taught baseball and softball to youth in South Sudan during his time as the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Chief Representative.

He introduced softball to South Sudan in 2018 and helped establish the South Sudan Baseball and Softball Association in 2020. Benjamin Barnaba Marial is currently serving as the Association's President.

Owan was one of Tomonari's students. She was recommended for this visit by Mayumi Kobayashi, President of Sammy Japan, to create opportunities for young talent to learn from senior athletes.

During his JICA tenure, Tomonari negotiated with Maebashi City, the capital of Gunma Prefecture in the northern Kantō region, to host South Sudan during the Tokyo Olympics. The city famously hosted South Sudanese track and field athletes for over a year and a half due to the difficult conditions in their home country.