Pitching baseball to Pakistan

Ignored sport doing the country proud.

LAHORE:

Baseball, an Olympic sport played by over 12 million people globally, till recent times had struggled to make its presence felt in cricket-crazy Pakistan but is finally making a mark on the country’s sporting scene.

The national team’s performance in recent tournaments has been highly encouraging and by winning the recently-concluded Saarc Baseball Championship in Lahore, seen as an important milestone for the team, the team has also enjoyed a decent ranking in the region: Pakistan is ranked number one in South Asia, fifth in Asia and 25th in the world.

Viewing the rise in popularity, Pakistan Baseball Federation (PBF) President Shuqat Javed is of the view that the sport has the potential to displace cricket as the premier sport in the country.

“The game is very similar to cricket,” Javed told The Express Tribune. “Players who cannot make it big in cricket are now trying their luck in baseball.”

Sports in Pakistan have often suffered from mismanagement, corruption and intrigue. However, baseball seems to be an exception as the national team has been able to make its mark internationally, a fact that is proudly cited by Javed, who feels that there is a lot of talent for the sport in the country.

“There is a lot of talent present in Pakistan, and hunting out talented players is not a difficult task for us. We have structured the sport keeping in mind all its on and off-field aspects.”

Meanwhile, PBF General Secretary Khawar Shah, while praising the national team’s effort, has said that it showed that hard work can help bring laurels for the country.

“There was a time when baseball was played by semi-professionals but with the passage of time, the prospects of the sport in the country have improved,” said Shah. “We have players who made their way into baseball from cricket. Talent scouts around the world are in regular touch with our players. Our captain, Aisam, one of the fastest pitchers in the world, capable of pitching at the speed of 151 kmph, has been offered professional contracts in three top Asian countries.”

Shah expressed great optimism at the future of baseball in Pakistan, saying that he was confident that the sport is sure to thrive in the country, as more and more youngsters are now opting to play it.

SL squad pays tribute to victims

The Sri Lanka baseball team visited the memorial site established to honour the victims of the terrorist attack on the Sri Lanka cricket team and paid homage to those who lost their lives in the incident.

The baseball players are the first Sri Lankas athletes to have visited the country since the attack took place.  A team official highlighted the cordial relations present between the two countries.  “We enjoy friendly relations with Pakistan and our visit to play in the Saarc Baseball Championship is proof of our strong ties,” said the official.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 19^th,  2011.