Oyeyemi Shaback and Alage Bello on Saturday expressed readiness to represent the nation creditably at the forthcoming Major League Baseball (MLB), elite camp in South Africa.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports the program would hold from Dec. 1 to Dec. 12.

Shaback and Bello, both from Kwara Slider Baseball Club in Ilorin, were the two players selected at the MLB tryout held in August.

The players told NAN that they would leave no stone unturned to ensure that they make the final selection at the programme.

Shaback said that he had intensified training in order to compete favourably with other participants selected in Africa. He promised to take advantage of the programme to advance his career in the sport.

"This is a good opportunity and platform for me to excel in baseball and I have been training hard to ensure that I make my country proud," he said.

Bello, in the same vein, said that he had re-doubled training ahead of the elite camp.

The player, who noted that the programme would not be an easy one, said he was determined to make the final list.

"I have increased my training hours in order to work on my technical lapses and forge ahead at the programme," he said.

Bello commended Influence Gwede, coach of Sliders, for his effort in bringing the best out of him, saying it had paid off.

Meanwhile, Gwede told NAN that he would continue to work on the players in order to sharpen their technical skills and accuracy when handling the ball and bat.

NAN reports that the programme was initiated by MLB to provide a viable platform for budding talents in Africa to ply their trade in foreign clubs. (NAN)