JOIN USIt is the season of summer camps and children are thronging schools and various playgrounds to learn their favourite sport and indulge in various activities.
Giving a miss to cricket, children in the City are taking a keen interest on a ‘not-so-popular’ game, i.e., Baseball. Indeed, the new fad in town, apart from football this season is Baseball.
Speaking to Metrolife about his experience of playing an essentially American game, that is making a tentative presence in the city this season, Hartej Singh, a 15-year-old beginner, says, “We have only followed cricket in India. We should give importance to other games as well. I have been taking baseball classes and have been enjoying it thoroughly.”
The coaches conducting the camp are trained from Doyle Academy, Florida and talented players that are selected will play for Delhi’s first baseball/softball league and will also play international tournaments in Phillipines and USA.
India can be a hotbed of talent in terms of baseball because this game too demands skills that are similar to cricket – batting and fielding. And Indians are inherently equipped with such skills.
Simrat Singh, a 22-years-old professional player and a pass out of Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC), who was also a coach for Under-15 baseball team in Asia Cup, said, “We call this game as ‘thinking man’s game’ and is quite similar to cricket.
India has a great potential to produce baseball players but we are not getting enough encouragement. Everyone wants to be a cricketer as they know there is a future. But, when it comes to other games, children are apprehensive as there is no certainity of their future.” Simrat has also played for national level as well as for international cups.
Promoting the ‘national game of America’, Grand Slam Baseball has organised a baseball summer camp ‘Intro to Baseball’ for children aged 5-18 years at the Central Secretariat, Ground no 1, Vinay Marg, opposite Nehru Park. The classes commenced from June 4 and the charges are Rs 400 per hour. There are three sessions in a week, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday from 4-7 pm.