KIBT won't be played again this summer (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By Chad Klassen

KAMLOOPS SPORTS HALL OF FAME

KIBT volunteers to be honoured; tournament not returning until at least 2024

Mar 9, 2023 | 3:03 PM

KAMLOOPS — The Kamloops International Baseball Tournament started in 1973 and was a regular summer stop for many Western Canadian and U.S. semi-pro baseball teams — the Seattle Studs, Everett Merchants to name a few.

A tournament of such magnitude requires a great committee to organize it and a lot of volunteers to help run it. The key members that have helped keep KIBT going will be recognized with their induction into the Kamloops Sports Hall of Fame on April 29.

“I was actually quite surprised,” said KIBT President Wayne Harper. “We have about 14 people that are kind of like the executive that in the past have kept the tournament going. Let’s not forget all the hundreds of volunteers that come on board.”

Harper says the Hall of Fame induction for him and the team of 14 validates all the hard work they’ve put into the tournament over the last 40-plus years.

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He says the last few years have been difficult not only with the tournament being cancelled, but keeping some of the KIBT team together.

“We don’t have much of an executive left. Some have passed and nobody seemed to want to come on board,” said Harper. “We’re left with about three people — Linda Coutts, Jan Harper and myself. I think now, we’re getting close to 50 [years of KIBT] we’ll get some more interest.”

The tournament won’t be going ahead again this summer with a small executive team, but there has been interest from teams and volunteers.

“We’ve had a lot of interest from volunteers who say ‘Hey, you should have that tournament get going. You’ve got to get it going again.’ Those are not just volunteers, but fans support. There are a lot of people who want to see it go again,” noted Harper. “We have some interest from the Seattle Studs, wondering why we’re not having a tournament, but basically we lost a lot of people. It didn’t looked like it was going to go, but I think we’ve got some more interest to get it going again.”

KIBT is hoping to be back in the summer of 2024 for what would be the 50th year.

“To get to 50 years, we’re going to have to get some sponsorship for sure. We need some sponsorship money. We’ve got to make some arrangements down at the park. Maybe talk to the city and see what’s going on. Maybe get some input from them,” said Harper.