Toyota to sponsor baseball league

Toyota Ghana Limited on Thursday presented an amount of 17- million cedis sponsorship package to the Ghana Baseball and Softball Association (GBSA) for this year's under 14 and senior baseball league which started on Sunday.

Making the presentation, Mr. Hisao Ikegai, Managing Director of Toyota Ghana Limited said, his Company has further plans of sponsoring future leagues to make the game more popular in the country.

He said, his company, which sponsored a one-day tournament last year, was impressed by the level of play and hence their decision to sponsor the league.

Mr. Ikegai said they also want to promote young people's participation in the game and called on the GBSA to form teams in the other regions to make the game more competitive.

He said talented players could come out of these teams and could be called to the national team.

Captain John Asubonteng, Chairman of GBSA assured Mr. Ikegai that, the money would not be wasted but would be used for the purpose for which it was intended for.

He said at the International Baseball Association, (IBA) he made contacts with America and Germany who have promised the association some equipment and hopefully when they arrive, the association will embark on a charter programme in the regions where teams are formed in schools by the end of the year.

Captain Asubonteng said, the under-17 is being prepared to participate in a tournament scheduled for Nigeria in August.

Mr. Joe Aggrey, Deputy Minister for Youth and Sports who received the amount on behalf of GBSA thanked Toyota Ghana limited for their sponsorship and said the issue of sponsorship for the less financed sports is high on his agenda and will encourage any discipline that put in much effort to look for sponsorship.

"We need to develop the other disciplines and not soccer alone, we can do well in the other disciplines and will encourage any discipline which goes out to look for sponsorship.' He added