1 Mar 2013

Sport: Winning start vital for Samoan softballers

11:31 am on 1 March 2013

Samoa coach Chris Kohlhase says a lot is riding on Friday morning's World Softball Championships opener against Great Britain in Auckland.

The Tanifa finished fifth-equal in their only other World Champs appearance in 2004.

Five members of that side are back for another tilt and Kohlhase says if they can safely navigate pool play over the next week then anything can happen.

But he says they need to start on the right foot.

"That will set us up nicely for the tournament. If we lose that first one then it makes it very difficult from then. All these countries will be trying to knock us off, and vice-versa, so we probably view Great Britain as the most important game of the tournament."