JOIN USCricket might be the ruler when it comes to sports but giving the game competition now are the likes of football, ‘kabbadi’, golf and so on. Aiming at this is a group of sports enthusiasts who have formed ‘Caspians Sports Club’ in the hope of taking baseball to a different level.
The club was started in 2014 by Sankirth KV. An investment banker, he says that the group has changed the way he sees the sport. “The group was named Caspians after the extinct tiger. The theme was based on saving baseball, just like the animal. We wanted to revive the game with the group,” he says.
Known through Hollywood movies and English sitcoms, baseball was overshadowed by cricket and football. “There were also not many places one could play in. But from there, we have gone to playing at the national level now,” says Sankirth, who is the treasurer and organising secretary.
Individually, the game has helped in personal development, he says. “The game and the group has disciplined me and shaped me,” Sankirth adds. Tejas SR, a software engineer, joins is to say that joining the group has given him a chance to be part of a great recreational activity as well as a feeling of brotherhood. “The group is a strong emotion,” he says.
Joining in for regular practice sessions that are held every week at the Sports Authority of India premises, Tejas enjoys training juniors along with playing the game.
The group has also helped encourage a spirit for the game, feels member Rayan Avitash, an HR recruiter.
“We have grown together and as individuals. There is a big bonding between the players. We have learnt how to be with each other, play together and function as a unit. This is on and off the field,” he says.
Says Karthik Vasudev, software engineer, “I got a chance to meet this amazing gang of people who will do anything for each other and are connected by a common passion. We are all friends for life,” he says.
After joining the group, Karthik has connected to people from across states. “I met new people and I know players from Himachal Pradesh to Tamil Nadu now. Talking and meeting new people has also become easier now,” he adds.
All games help develop endurance levels and Ranjith K R, a student, feels that though he used to play other sports earlier, baseball has helped hone his skills and abilities.
“I have grown as a person and my core strength and concentration level has also developed,” he says.
AP Naveen Kumar, a cluster manager who started playing the game 12 years back, wanted to encourage the game in colleges and among youngsters. “This is how the group came about. Popular as a Western game, no one here really knows what the game is. Thankfully this has changed with many colleges coming up with their own teams,” he says. To get people interested in the game, the group tells them that it is close to cricket.
After forming this group, the enthusiasts, who were trained under the Sports Authority of India, started coaching youngsters. “When we started the club, we just wanted a group to play together. But it is more serious now and we feel more responsible,” he adds.
(The club can be contacted on caspianssportsclub@gmail.com)