ASAHIKAWA, Hokkaido—A surprising “follow” on social media has given Dennis Kasumba a chance to escape from a life surrounded by violence, drugs and poverty.
Kasumba, 21, left his home country of Uganda last year and currently lives in a dormitory for members of the Asahikawa Be: Stars, a baseball team in an independent league in Hokkaido.
It is one step toward his dream of becoming a professional baseball player.
PARENT-LESS CHILDHOOD
Hailing from Kampala, the capital of the eastern African nation, Kasumba lost his father in warfare as a little child. His mother left their home in search for a job and never returned.
The boy’s grandmother took him in, making Kasumba part of an eight-member household.
With no breadwinner in the family, Kasumba looked for work early in the morning to earn cash for breakfast.
“The earlier I woke up, the better job I was able to find,” Kasumba recalled. “I always got out of bed at 5 a.m.”
After turning 7 years old, Kasumba was tasked with digging a 45-meter underground hole for a toilet in a slum.
His grandmother urged him to abandon the “risky” job, but he pressed on, knowing that not working would leave his family without food.
At age 8, Kasumba had a job at a meat processing plant and passed the time by hitting stones with a wooden stick.
A man who watched Kasumba suggested that he play baseball.
“Do you want to play on the national team for Uganda?” the man asked. “I will give you cash if you show up at our baseball field.”
Kasumba immediately showcased his strong arm and started training at the field between his daily tasks.
The facility was home to many children who lost their parents in war and from the AIDS epidemic. They all shared the dream of playing in a professional league.
Kasumba realized that no matter how hard he worked, his family’s life would never improve. What little money he earned quickly disappeared when he picked up some food for the day.
He thought the only way to break free from this life was to continue playing baseball.
But with no money to go to a gym, he had to train himself with whatever he could find.
Using tires, bricks, plastic bottles, soil, rocks and other free materials, he strengthened his body and developed his skills as a catcher.
However, living on baseball alone in Uganda was unrealistic, so he looked overseas for an opportunity.
Kasumba uploaded a video of himself training on social media when he was 14, hoping it would draw the attention of prospective sponsors.
His video caught the eye of an unexpected person: major league superstar Shohei Ohtani.
Kasumba soon joined a select list of only 240 individuals who were followed by Ohtani on Instagram.
That follow instantly put Kasumba into the global spotlight, and he gained a tryout with a major league team.
Although he failed to secure a contract, the experience further motivated Kasumba to pursue a career in baseball.
Back in Uganda, Kasumba watched as drug abuse spread in his workplace within the meat treatment factory. He decided he could “no longer stay here.”
CHANCE IN HOKKAIDO
Around that time, Katsuhisa Tanaka, a coach from Asahikawa Be: Stars, contacted the troubled teenager.
The two had met earlier when Tanaka worked at the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
Tanaka asked Kasumba, “Will you play baseball with us in Japan?”
In 2024, at the age of 20, Kasumba traveled to Japan.
Tanaka, 48, said he recruited Kasumba to allow the young athlete to fulfill his potential after the opportunity presented itself through social media.
Although the Ugandan’s baseball skills were still considered raw, and he had trained under poor conditions, Tanaka was impressed by Kasumba’s ability to stand out.
Members of Asahikawa Be: Stars come from a wide range of countries, including the United States, Slovenia, Austria, Argentina, Turkey and Venezuela.
All players of foreign origin live together in a dormitory.
Kasumba is responsible for cleaning the bath, and he makes a point of thoroughly washing the floor and walls for the comfort of the other residents.
His single-person room is the size of six tatami mats, but he has installed a refrigerator. He carefully places opened packages, including instant noodles, chips and cookies, in the usually full fridge to avoid wasting food.
Many baseball helmets presented by people whom Kasumba has encountered are on display at his dormitory unit.
The baseball team only covers Kasumba’s living costs. So, the dire circumstance surrounding the family he left behind in Uganda has yet to change.
Kasumba feels pain, pity and sorrow every time he calls home and hears his family members say they have “nothing to eat today, as usual.”
Still, he never forgets his dream of following in the footsteps of Ohtani, who starred with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters before entering the big leagues.
“I have reached Hokkaido, like Ohtani, to trace the same path as his,” Kasumba said. “I will become the best catcher in the world at some point.”
Original Source: This article was originally published on Asahi Sports. Click the link to view the full article.