Kerala State Sports & Games 2024: curiosity pulls in more people to baseball games

Though not a very popular game like cricket, more youngsters are getting drawn into the sport, says a baseball coach

“What’s that,” asks Thomas, who was delivering food for the participants at a venue of the Kerala State Sports & Games 2024, with a puzzled look on his face while pointing towards a game of baseball progressing at the Veli ground in Fort Kochi on Thursday morning.

Martin, a local resident who has been watching the game for a while from the other side of the fence, also spotted a somewhat similar look. After all, they do not come across a baseball game in their neighbourhood everyday or follow Major League Baseball in the U.S. on sports channels.

Though not as popular, say like cricket, with which baseball incidentally shares many similarities starting with the hurling of a ball and hitting it, things seem to be fast changing with more youngsters getting drawn into the sport, says Gokul Krishnan, coach of the Alappuzha district boys team. “I started playing the game while studying at the Government HSS School, Valiazheekal, Alappuzha, where I now regularly conduct camps and scout talents,” adds Gokul, a final year graduate student who remains hopeful of getting selected at the university level.

Jinu Thomas, coach of the Alappuzha girls team, says that with the Kerala Public Service Commission likely to recognise the sport, which will help the players get government jobs in sports quota, the interest is only likely to grow further. Having started in athletics, she took up baseball while in Class IX because she found it ‘variety sports.’ “When we used to participate in the school meet, not all districts fielded teams. That has now changed. Local leagues are also being staged in districts now,” says Jinu, a post-graduate student.

Prajitha P. Pradeep, who coaches the Alappuzha girl’s softball team, used to play baseball though she started out as a cricketer. “I started playing it during a break at the cricket coaching camp since there were similarities between the two sports. Ability to generate pace and strength in pitching (hurling the ball) and hitting (striking the ball) are among the basic qualities needed for a baseball player. It also requires a certain degree of courage as it is an injury prone sports,” she says.

Abin Babu, a Class XI student representing the Kollam team, was introduced to baseball by a relative while in Class VIII and the game has grown on him in the last three years. “It is exciting and addictive,” he says.

Sooraj S., his teammate, however, rues that it cannot be played just easily as gully cricket. “Not many know the game or its complex rules,” he says.

Published - November 07, 2024 07:18 pm IST