Thabang “Contact Number” Letsoalo says he will continue to forge relations between baseball and softball.
When the name Thabang Letsoalo was mention in softball circles a few months ago, it invoked the infamous biblical tale in the New Testament when Judas Iscariot selfishly betrayed Jesus Christ for a paltry thirty silver coins to the Sanhedrin.
This was because the debonair lad affectionately known as “Contact Number” led a crusade to establish baseball in the country, a move that was seen as threat to the survival of softball in the province.
Letsoalo, like Iscariot among the Twelve Apostles, was at some stage a formidable force in the Limpopo Softball Association’s (LSA) team that won the National Championships until he was dropped from the squad ahead of the Inter-provincial Tournament in Durban.
Letsoalo is not prepared to sign divorce papers with baseball as he still espouses the principles of World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), the governing body for the sports of baseball and softball that was established in 2013 by the merger of International Softball Federation and International Baseball Federation.
Letsoalo says, “In my view, softball and baseball are almost the same and can coexist in a similar environment. Softball has been in my heart and I want to see both codes dominate the landscape of sports in the province.”
Headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, WBSC was granted recognition as the sole competent global authority for both the sports of baseball and softball by the International Olympic Committee at the 125th IOC Session on September 8, 2013.
Explaining his intentions to run for office in both codes, Letsoalo said, “My main goal is to assist in creating a platform for our young stars who want to play both baseball and softball. The idea is also to expose our athletes and officials to opportunities in both codes, and their development will also increase the number of participation and support bases. The combination of programs of both codes will make them to be seasonal activities. “The development of baseball in the province means the development of softball. A typical example of symbiotic relationship between the two codes is Mankweng Pioneers Softball Club which was developed by base-ballers from Dikolobe Primary School.”
Unveiling his plan to resuscitate softball, Letsoalo said, “There is a dire need to strengthen capacity and also develop educational and training programs about softball in all districts, local municipality, clubs and associate members. Furthermore, there must be effective programs for juniors and women teams. One of the key programs will be to re-establish to Super League.