Eighteen-year-old Maphuti Hlako from Senwabarwana in Limpopo will travel by bus with South Africa’s under-18 softball team on 19 August for a World Baseball Softball Confederation regional tournament in Gaborone, Botswana, running from 20 to 22 August. Behind the achievement lies a familiar struggle: limited access to medical and mental Health support, and the pressure of self-funding her participation.
Hlako had to raise R5,000 to cover travel, accommodation and meals. Her primary support comes from her mother, a single parent working as a security officer, and her siblings, coaches and close friends. “It’s not easy to participate in sport while you don’t have access to medical and psychological support,” Hlako said. “We do this for the love of the game, but the risks of injuries are quite high.”
She explained that physiotherapy is only available once an athlete makes a provincial squad, and only for the duration of a tournament. “Once it’s over you’re on your own to nurse the injuries you sustained,” she said.
In March 2023, during the National Provincial Championships in the Free State, Hlako injured her ankle. She was taken by private car to a public hospital in Bloemfontein, where a general practitioner prescribed painkillers and a topical ointment. After the tournament, her mother bought over-the-counter medication for her rehabilitation. At her local club, the Seshego Cannons, first-aid kits are not always available during training. “There is nothing readily available to rehabilitate the injuries,” Hlako said.
She also injured her knee at a Women’s Month tournament in Lebowakgomo, Polokwane, in 2024. “I endured excruciating pain throughout the one-day tournament without a physiotherapist. Some of these remedies provide temporary relief but the pains would resurface when least expected,” she said.
Coach Jankies Seakamela is concerned about the mental toll. “I’m particularly concerned that Maphuti might go to this international tournament still overwhelmed by the fact that she almost didn’t manage to get funding for the trip,” he said. “This has deeply affected her psychologically and this could affect her physically during the tournament.”
Mokgadi Moswatsi, team manager for the national women’s team, confirmed that teams travel with a physiotherapist and sports psychologist for the tournament period only. “However, it is up to the players to take care of their injuries after the tournament since the federation doesn’t have a sufficient medical budget,” Moswatsi said. She added that players are encouraged to approach the team psychologist but rarely do.
Sports psychologist Boitumelo Mamaine said mental-health resources in South African sport tend to focus on better-funded codes such as football, cricket and rugby. Athletes from disadvantaged backgrounds often face competing pressures — food and shelter insecurity — that hinder their athletic development. Mamaine noted that psychological support before and during competition is common, but post-tournament check-ins are rare. “However this does not mean that athletes would not benefit from this because there are many post-tournament stressors such as loss that may need processing,” she said.
Women’s baseball and softball remain relatively new in South Africa. The first national women’s baseball teams were established only in 2023, creating international opportunities for girls and women. Yet administrators and athletes say limited funding continues to restrict access to ongoing medical and psychological support, travel and equipment. For young athletes like Hlako, making the national team represents both a significant opportunity and a stark reminder of the systemic gaps that persist beneath the surface of international competition.
