Connor's softball call-up

A WINTERBOURNE teenager has been selected to represent Great Britain at the European Fastpitch Softball Championships.

Connor Peberdy, aged 16, is in the Under-18 squad for the tournament in the Czech Republic from July 3 to 8.

The Winterbourne Academy student, who is set to study at the elite football academy at SGS College after his GCSEs, has played for the Bristol Creamers softball team in the Bristol Softball League since the age of 14.

Connor said: “Softball is a really fun and sociable sport and it feels amazing to be representing my country, as well as being one of the few players selected from the Bristol league."

Because men's fastpitch softball is not an Olympic sport it does not qualify for Lottery funding, so Connor and his team-mates are covering their own travel, accommodation, kit and food when they take on the Czech Republic, Denmark, Israel and Croatia in a bid to qualify for the World Championships.

Connor’s family have set up a JustGiving page to help raise money towards the cost of the trip, and donations will be gratefully received at justgiving.com/crowdfunding/sarah-hobbs

The event will be shown live on the World Baseball Softball Confederation YouTube channel.

For more information on the sport visit www.britishsoftball.org.