The tournament, sponsored with a sum of P200,000 by Archein Hardware, kicks off on September 29, with the final match scheduled for October 1.
Yankees enter the tournament as the underdogs, but any disregard for their potential by their opponents would be a grave miscalculation.
The team participated in the inaugural edition of the tournament held last year, securing a fifth-place finish.
Yankees’ coach, Trevor Musa, affirmed that the team’s preparations for the tournament have proceeded as planned and the players have been responsive to the technical instructions.
“We are mentally and technically ready. At the same time, it would be more beneficial if we knew our opponents because it makes our lives more enjoyable. Zooming back to last year, we did well looking at where we come from. We finished the tournament in position five and our target this time around is to take the title,” said the proud Musa.
He indicated that the Yankees are still work in progress as the players are “young minds with big hearts”. He pledged that the team would give their utmost effort in facing whatever challenges lie ahead.
“Remember, it is not the size of the dog in a fight but the size of the fight in the dog,” he added.
Rebels Softball Club from Orapa has also earned their spot in the tournament, marking their second appearance. In the prior edition, Rebels secured an eighth-place finish. Kabelo Seinamo, the club’s chairperson, expressed satisfaction with their preparations, saying that they were consistent with their approach during the eliminations. However, for this tournament, they have revamped their technical approach.
“We have roped in the services of a new coach, Otimile Tapiso, who has a traceable record in terms of achievements as a coach.
“He changed the whole set-up to suit the competition. We have also recruited a talented pitcher who recently came in from overseas, Pami Madzulungwa. He is expected to give our pitching department shape and depth,” he said.
Notably, Seinamo said the core of the Rebels squad remains unchanged, with one player who trained with Police IX but will be part of the Rebels’ roster during the tournament.
“We hosted a training camp with south zone clubs, BDF IX, Police IX, Gatalamotho, and Carats.
The main objective of the camp was to prepare our players to get used to playing against these teams without pressure and learning a few things from them, which had a huge impact on the team. My boys are ready for the challenge. I expect a top-four finish,” Seinamo said.
Representing the Northern zone are Rail Giants (men and women) from Mahalapye, Carats (men and women), and Francistown-based Scramblers (men).
Meanwhile, the Southern zone is represented by Police IX (men and women), Wells International (men and women), BDF IX (men and women), Vikings (men and women), and UB Giants (women).
