Limpopo softball men and women teams, affectionately known as Dinare and Dinose respectively, are well encamped in Seshego township buoyed by the thrill of adventure ahead of the National Provincial Championships (NPC) which they will be hosting next month.

The inter-provincial tourney is slated for March 19 to 23 at the Polokwane Cricket Grounds.

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Played under the auspices of Softball South Africa (SSA), this annual event is the national game’s Holy Grail in which almost all the provinces converge to exchange bats.

Despite playing on home soil, Dinare and Dinose are bracing themselves for fierce antagonism. They will have plenty to prove that they are the custodians of the national game. In a province revered as the home of softball.

SOFTBALL IN LIMPOPO PREPARES FOR PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIP 

The men’s head coach, Thapelo Seshoka made a statement of intent that he would reclaim the provincial honour after Limpopo won the NPC seven times in succession. A milestone never accomplished by any other province.

Seshoka’s blueprint to rewrite the provincial history crafted by his predecessor, Lemo Raphasha was to reselect the old guard with international experience to forge a generational mix of veterans and novelty acts.   

Biya Matlala and his female army will have to substantiate that their bronze achievement in Durban was not a fluke. Their third position was a ground-breaking feat ever in the record books of provincial women’ softball. 

The team will continue with the training camps over weekends. Leading to the NPC while domestic leagues are in full swing.   

By MOYAHABO MABEBA

*MABEBA is LSA’s Head of Marketing and Publicity and PRO is Capricorn Sports Confederation.