US To Promote Baseball In Nigeria

The Information Officer at the U.S. Embassy, Abuja, Russell Brooks, said the U. S. was willing to partner with Nigeria to promote the game of baseball in the country.
Brooks spoke to Tidesports source on the sidelines of a baseball youth programme in Abuja.
He said that the camp, which opened at the weekend with an exhibition match and presentation of certificates of participation by the organisers at the Baseball pitch of the Package B National Stadium.
The week-long youth baseball camp, which was organised by the U. S. embassy and the Baseball Tomorrow Academy, featured a former major league baseball pitcher, Jeremy Guthrie,.
“Nigerians love sport and they share that in common with Americans.
“We are a sports crazy country and certainly any opportunity we have to promote collaboration between our countries is something we want to do,” he said.
No fewer than 60 youths drawn from five states in the country participated in the programme and were taught various skills in the game of baseball.
They also recieved instructions and technical advice on how to improve their skills to become  better baseball players.
Brooks said that the future of the game in the country was bright, adding that all that was required was more training and opportunities for the youths to play.
“Today the children were able to put to use all the education and training about baseball which they received during the course of the programme.
“So they put it all together. We saw the pitchers doing a great job and the batters hitting the ball very well.
“That showed they had learnt a lot even with the few days they had with the former major league baseball player.
“Obviously, if they continue to play and have opportunities to receive good coaching, well I think the future is very bright for these young children,” he said.
He explained that the programme, among others things, aimed at providing the youths with instructions and life skills, adding that the U. S. embassy was always a willing partner of such programmes.
“We at the U. S. embassy are always interested in supporting programmes that empower youths and encourage them to succeed because we recognise that the youth represent the future of Nigeria.
“We want Nigeria to be a strong and prosperous country and that can only be possible if the youths are empowered to be successful and educated citizens.
“So, it is our pleasure to have been part of this programme. It was indeed a fantastic success and we want to thank Guthrie for his participation as well as Baseball Tomorrow Academy for their contribution.