De Wills Baseball Club of Bayelsa has emerged as the champion of the 2026 Super Five Baseball Championship, defeating defending champions Delta State in the final at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja. The Bayelsa side claimed the national title after a league season featuring 17 clubs competing across centres in Kwara, Rivers, and other parts of Nigeria. The top five teams from the league were invited to Abuja to contest the Super Five Championship for the 2026 national title.
The championship was designed to bring together leading teams from the national league and identify players with the potential to represent Nigeria at the international level. According to Uche Odozor, President of the Nigeria Baseball and Softball Federation (NBSF) and the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Africa, Japanese analysts were brought in to assess players during the championship. Some of the best performers are expected to travel to Japan in November for further training ahead of Nigeria's bid to qualify for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
The Nigeria Baseball and Softball Federation is working with the National Sports Commission to expand baseball across the country, particularly through schools and military barracks. The federation aims to use the sport to create opportunities for young Nigerians. Odozor stated that baseball has significant economic potential and that the federation is introducing a Baseballership programme. Efforts are also being made to strengthen the sport's presence in Nigerian universities.
Nigeria's national team head coach, Shinya Tomonari, appointed on 8 June, said his immediate objective is to build a team capable of becoming the strongest and most respected baseball side in Africa. The Super Five provided his first major opportunity to assess a wide pool of Nigerian players. Working alongside Japanese analysts Daisuke Hoshikawa and Takumu Yamada, Tomonari used the TrackMan system to measure and quantify player performance.
Tomonari and his team will select 23 national team candidates and create individualized development plans based on the data collected. Several Nigerian players will be invited to Japan in November to train with professional clubs and leading university programmes as preparations intensify for the African Championship scheduled for next July. Tomonari has previously coached in Ghana, Tanzania, and South Sudan and has spent about 30 years working in African baseball.
Tomonari is implementing the Baseballership Education programme in 13 African countries. De Wills captain Adebisi David expressed delight at winning the championship, saying the title came after several days of intense competition. David added that the championship win is significant as selections for the national team to play through the qualifiers for Olympics 2028 are underway.
The 2026 Super Five Baseball Championship marks a milestone in Nigeria's baseball development. With the support of the Nigeria Baseball and Softball Federation, the National Sports Commission, and international partners, the country's baseball team is poised to make a strong impact in the region. The championship win is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the players, coaches, and officials involved in the sport.
Key points
- De Wills Baseball Club of Bayelsa wins 2026 Super Five Baseball Championship
- Nigeria's national team head coach aims to build a strong baseball team for Africa
- Players to train in Japan ahead of African Championship and Olympics 2028 qualifiers
