Playing Baseball in Africa

Playing Baseball in Africa; Lugazi Uganda Little League baseball team competed in the 68th Little League Baseball World Series

Lugazi Uganda Little League 

Let's start with some interesting facts about baseball in Africa, specifically in Uganda.

Lugazi Uganda Little League baseball team is bringing baseball in Africa to the world stage by competing in the 2013 Little League Baseball World Series. The fact that Africa earned a spot on one of baseball's highest stages is no surprise to Africa.

Baseball, among Americans, more than any other sport, is a national pastime; playing baseball in Africa is slowly becoming a Ugandan field of dreams. Competing in Little League Baseball’s Middle East and Africa Region in 2013, Uganda became the first African country to travel and compete in the Little League World Series. 

In 2013 Lugazi Uganda Little League team played hard on the baseball field and made it to the World Series. Lugazi Uganda Little League team won the Europe and Africa Region Championship (MEA), earning a right to compete in the 68th Little League Baseball World Series in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Over 10 days, playing 32 games, the Little League Baseball World Series Cinderella story Lugazi Uganda Little League team will hopefully compete and win the 2014 series.

In 2013, the Ugandan team from Lugazi Little League won the MEA Championship. The team made history in the Little League Baseball World Series, becoming the first team from Africa to compete in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania. During the 2013 World Series, the team from Uganda won the Jack Losch World Series Team Sportsmanship Award and finished with one win and two losses. 

Playing Baseball in Uganda, Africa means many things to many people, and to the Lugazi Little League team playing in the Little League Baseball World Series made dreams come true.

In 2013 The New York Yankees players and Manager Joe Girardi hosted the Ugandan Little League team with a private tour of Yankee Stadium. “I just tried to show them around a little bit and spend some time with them,” Girardi said. “It’s a beautiful story. 

It takes everyone back to their Little League days. To watch what these kids accomplished, talking to their coaches; none of them had ever seen an airplane or traveled before. For them to accomplish what they have is truly unique.” Maybe in 2014, the Uganda Little League team will meet A-Rod and celebrate his 40th birthday with him in style. 

Uganda Little League World Series Pitcher 2012

Uganda's Lugazi Little League won the Jack Losch Team Sportsmanship Award in the 2012 World Series.

During the 2012 Little League Baseball World Series, the team from Lugazi Little League in Uganda received the Jack Losch World Series Team Sportsmanship Award. This prestigious award is named in honor of Jack Losch, a longtime Little League volunteer, and is presented to the team that best demonstrates outstanding sportsmanship, character, and respect for the game of baseball and its opponents.

The Lugazi Little League team from Uganda exhibited exceptional sportsmanship throughout the tournament, displaying qualities such as fair play, integrity, and respect for their fellow players, coaches, and officials. They were recognized for their positive attitude, teamwork, and the way they conducted themselves both on and off the field.

Winning the Jack Losch World Series Team Sportsmanship Award is a significant honor and reflects the team's commitment to the values and spirit of Little League Baseball. It recognizes their embodiment of sportsmanship, which is an essential aspect of the game and a core principle of Little League.

The award not only highlights the sportsmanship of the Lugazi Little League team but also brings pride to their community and showcases the positive impact of Little League Baseball in promoting fair play and respect for others.

The recognition of the Lugazi Little League team with the Jack Losch World Series Team Sportsmanship Award in 2012 reflects their outstanding conduct and serves as an inspiration to other teams participating in the Little League Baseball World Series.

16 teams from different countries played in the 2012 Little League Baseball World Series.

Caribbean Region: Pariba Little League, Willemstad, Curaçao

Asia-Pacific Region: Taoyuan Little League, Taoyuan, Chinese Taipei

Australia Region: Perth Metro Central Little League, Perth, Western Australia, Australia

Canada Region: Hastings Community Little League, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Europe Region: Lugazi Little League, Lugazi, Uganda

Japan Region: Sendai Higashi Little League, Sendai, Japan

Latin America Region: Aguadulce Cabezera Little League, Aguadulce, Panama

Mexico Region: Guadalupe Treviño Kelly Little League, Reynosa, Mexico

Midwest Region: Kearney Little League, Kearney, Nebraska, United States

New England Region: Fairfield American Little League, Fairfield, Connecticut, United States

Northwest Region: Gresham National Little League, Gresham, Oregon, United States

Southeast Region: Goodlettsville Little League, Goodlettsville, Tennessee, United States

Southwest Region: Post Oak Little League, Houston, Texas, United States

West Region: Petaluma National Little League, Petaluma, California, United States

Transatlantic Region: Rotterdam Little League, Rotterdam, Netherlands

Host: South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, United States

Did you Know? Little League baseballs are typically smaller than MLB baseballs. Little League baseballs have a circumference of 9 inches, while MLB baseballs have a slightly larger circumference of around 9.25 inches.