Baseball5 has been contested for the first time in Britain at the Kent and Medway Business Games in Gillingham ©Kent Sport

Baseball5 has been contested for the first time in Britain as part of the Kent and Medway Business Games (KMBG) at Medway Park in Gillingham.

Officially launched by the World Baseball and Softball Confederation in March 2018, Baseball5 is a simplified version of baseball where the ball is hit with the hand instead of a bat

At the KMBG, two teams played a slightly adapted version of the game, with a time limit ensuring that all participants saw plenty of action.

Kent Sport ran the event after attending a clinic in preparation for the KMBG and the organisation was thrilled with Baseball5’s inclusive and simple format.

"It was fantastic to see how quickly people who have no previous knowledge or experience of the sport were able to pick up Baseball5," Tim Sells, Kent Sport’s projects officer, said.

"We had a wide range of abilities amongst the teams, but the simplicity of having no equipment meant that all the participants were able to achieve successful results.

"The small playing area and fast pace of the game kept everyone engaged throughout and feedback was really positive."

Organised by Kent Sport, in partnership with Medway Sport, the KMBG was set up to offer an afternoon of fun activities, team building, networking and healthy competition.

The event is an opportunity for colleagues to come together, represent their workplace, try new sports, get active and have some fun outside the office.

Two teams played a slightly adapted version of Baseball5 at the Kent and Medway Business Games ©Kent Sport
Two teams played a slightly adapted version of Baseball5 at the Kent and Medway Business Games ©Kent Sport

"Baseball5 was a great addition to our fifth annual Business Games," Lucy Tomlinson, Kent Sport’s workplace health officer, said.

"With 20 workplace teams and over 150 participants taking part on the day, we’re always looking for fun, inclusive team sports which are easy to pick up and play.

"Baseball5 certainly met these criteria and everyone seemed to really enjoy having a go."

Baseball5 has taken off since its creation, with more than 120 events held in 52 different countries and regions.

It first appeared in the United Kingdom on May 20, making Britain the 49th nation to feature the sport.

On that day, Liz Knight, BaseballSoftballUK’s development manager for London, taught the aforementioned clinic in preparation for the KMBG.

In attendance were Kent Sport staff, representatives of local schools and Workplace Physical Activity Champions.

Knight and Patrick Knock, BaseballSoftballUK’s development manager for the South East, have played an instrumental role in bringing Baseball5 to Britain with plans for further events under consideration.

In particular, the goal is to introduce Baseball5 as an urban format of the sport, particularly in areas or communities where space and resources are limited.