Baseball5 highlights "power of sport in bridging cultural and social gaps" at Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya
The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) proudly supported a Baseball5 event at Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya, which was staged to celebrate World Refugee Day. The activity aimed to foster community spirit, physical activity, and integration among refugees and the local community through a friendly Baseball5 tournament.
Mixed gender teams of refugees, volunteers and local community members participated in several friendly Baseball5 games, promoting teamwork and camaraderie in a competitive environment. All participants enjoyed the interactive and engaging nature of the WBSC's latest discipline, while the mixed-gender teams helped build friendships and understanding between refugees and local community members.
"The participation and enthusiasm from both refugees and local community members highlighted the power of sport in bridging cultural and social gaps," said Denis Mitei, a Baseball5 coach who is running the project at Kakuma Refugee Camp. "We extend our gratitude to all participants, volunteers, and supporters who made this event possible. We look forward to organising similar events in the future to continue building a cohesive and inclusive community."
Kakuma Refugee Camp is located in the north-western region of Kenya and is spread across 15 km2 of land. According to the United Nations Refugee Agency, the camp was established in 1992, and currently hosts almost 290,000 refugees.
The Rio 2016 Olympic Games saw the participation of a refugees team for the first time in Olympic history with a total of 10 refugees taking part, out of which five were athletes from the Kakuma Refugee Camp. Plans are also underway for a Baseball5 Refugee Team to compete at the Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026.
Baseball5 will make its Olympic debut at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.