In September, South Africa's baseball team secured their spot in the Olympic Euro-Africa qualifiers with an easy 28-0 win against Uganda in Johannesburg. The team may now have their sights set on Tokyo, but the path to the Summer Games remains difficult and uncertain. CGTN's Sias du Plessis reports.

It has been 16 years since Africa last hosted an official Olympic baseball qualifying tournament, since then the sport has struggled to gain the necessary financial backing, leadership and support to provide a sustainable platform where baseball can thrive and Africa can regularly challenge for a spot at the global event.

MARC MOREAU SOUTH AFRICA BASEBALL UNION PRESIDENT "Baseball has dwindled down a little a bit and I think it is mainly the fault of the African Baseball Softball Association, they've been fairly inactive and a bit dysfunctional, so we have taken it upon ourselves as South Africa as the hosts to organise an African summit to reactivate African baseball."

African faces many challenges going forward, but talent and passion for baseball is something that isn't lacking.

FRANCOISE KAMENI LELE AFRICA BASEBALL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR "The main continents playing baseball are America, Asia and Latin America, why not Africa? We just need political strength to move forwards."

The South African team will now take on 11 other teams in the EuroAfrica qualifier in September in Parma, Italy for a spot in the Olympics.

NEIL ADONIS SOUTH AFRICA HEAD COACH "Yes, we are going to be up against the top 5 European countries and the winner will go to the Olympics next year in Japan, so it is a big task for us and we are looking forward to the challenge."

The tournament winners will have the backing of the entire continent when they take on the top teams in Europe later this year.

BERNARD ADEI UGANDA CAPTAIN "It is a good feeling that we have seen one of our best, South Africa, going forward to represent Africa, so we are behind them and we really want to make sure that they go forward because they are Africa."

SIAS DU PLESSIS JOHANNESBURG "The continent has missed out on the last 3 Olympic Games and it appears as if that trend is set to continue should the sport fail to attract funding and the buy-in from other African countries to reactivate the sport, for now South Africa will fly the continent's flag, but a long journey still awaits the team if they are to qualify for their first Olympics in two decades, Sias du Plessis, CGTN, Johannesburg."