MLB Business Development Manager and spokesman Ryo Takahashi discussed how baseball is becoming more popular in India, as well as the operations of his organisation in the nation.
Takahashi told the Hindustan Times that MLB is now striving to cultivate a fanbase by offering youngsters playing chances. He also stated that MLB’s First Pitch initiative, which incorporates baseball into the physical education curriculum of schools, has been implemented in 90 schools in New Delhi, Bombay, and Bengaluru.
We are now working on growing a fan base by providing chances for youngsters to become acquainted with and play the game of baseball. As part of our grassroots initiative, we run the MLB First Pitch programme, in which we include baseball into the physical education curriculum of a school. The First Pitch curriculum includes what we call an activity pack, which allows PE teachers or baseball beginners to run activities that teach basic motor skills related to baseball. Kids gradually learn the fundamentals of the game. ”
This initiative would be implemented in 90 schools throughout New Delhi, Bombay, and Bengaluru by 2022,” he stated.
He elaborated on the MLB Cup by saying, “As a further step, we host the MLB Cup, a young event for kids aged 9 to 11. Participation increased dramatically from 12 teams in 2021 to 113 in 2022. Between October and November, regional competitions were held in Hyderabad, Kerala, Ahmednagar, Kolhapur, Indore, Bangalore, Bombay, and Delhi. Starting Monday, the top 16 teams from the regional competition will compete in a three-day final event at the Noida Cricket Stadium.”
To locate the top talent within a country, every sport requires a scouting system. However, MLB has yet to begin this process. Although MLB has not began scouting players in India for higher-level competition, Takahashi believes that the amount of traction acquired in their young development programmes is a step forward toward a talent-finding method.
We are now concentrating on young involvement and have not begun scouting players for higher-level competition. The amount of traction we have acquired in our youth development initiatives, on the other hand, makes us enthusiastic about the potential and prospects to create outstanding talent in the future,” he added.
“Takahashi dreams of an Indian professional baseball league in the future, but feels that such a goal can only be realised if the country has enough coaches, players, investors, and fans. “We aspire to develop a robust, self-sustaining baseball atmosphere via our activities.”
If we are successful, there will be enough coaches, players, investors, and fans to create a better level of demand for baseball. That might take the shape of a professional league or elite development for international competition, but that has yet to be defined “He mentioned this.
MLB spokeswoman Ryo Takahashi says a professional baseball league’might come’ to India.
