Escalation of Baseball in Jammu and Kashmir

The spirit of Fida Hussain is behind the promotion and development of Baseball in J&K, claims Mohamad Yousuf

Baseball is a national game of America. They consider it to be not only their national pastime but their national passion because of its strong tradition and great popularity. Today baseball no longer belongs to America; it is played around the world now, from small towns in the Dominican Republic to Sleek Stadium in Japan, as an Olympic sport. It is played throughout the world by men and women of all ages. This wonderful game has also gained popularity in India. It has great future to grow in Jammu and Kashmir too, making inroads in Kashmir in a big way.

Baseball, competitive game of skill played with a hard ball and bat between two teams of nine players each. One team throws a small round ball called a baseball and the other team tries to hit it with a wooden stick (bat). Teams get points by running and touching markers on the ground called “bases”. This is different from most team sports. When three players of the batting team are out, the teams change places. Then the team that was batting starts pitching, and the team that was pitching starts batting. After nine innings, the team that has the most runs is the winner. The baseball field, roughly two acres (.8 hectares) in area, is divided into an infield and outfield. The infield includes the bases and the pitcher’s mound, ending at the arced edge of the dirt. Each base in the infield is separated from the next by 90 ft (27 m), and the pitcher stands 60.5 ft (18.4 m) from home plate. The outfield stretches beyond the infield dirt. Basic baseball equipment includes a hard ball, a wooden or aluminum bat, a padded leather glove for each fielder for catching the ball, cleated shoes, and protective helmets for batters. Catchers wear special protective gear, including a helmet, a cage like mask, a padded chest protector, and shin guards

Baseball in J&K:

The American national sport, Baseball, first came to Kashmir when a local enthusiast Fida Hussain Fidvi attended a training camp through Amateur Baseball Federation of India. With his zeal and zest a spirit of this sport was inculcated among the student and non student youth of the state. In a short span of time a local baseball team came into being in the year 2002 and baseball activity kick started in low profile but in a well organized manner. Fida was basically a hockey player but the thrill and more potential lured him to this game. With the aim to develop and control the game of baseball in J&K he constituted a state level Association under the name and style “J&K Baseball Association” with its head quarters in Srinagar in 2003. It was shortly affiliated to Amateur Baseball Federation of India and was granted recognition by the J&K State Sports Council. Today the Association has a strong network all over the state with district units in almost every district. In 2004 and 2005 the Association successfully conducted low profile activities in the vicinity of Srinagar. The first two state level Championships were conducted in 2006 and 2007 but due to certain reasons the championship could not be held this year. The Association has highly talented players who are now regularly participating in the Sub-Junior, Junior and Senior National Championships. In 2005 J&K team performed brilliantly and could find a place in first eight leading teams of the country which is a feat in itself. Three members of the Association, Fida Hussain Fidvi, Firdous Ahmad Malik and Altaf Hussain Bhat were selected by the Federation for an International Coaching Camp, jointly organized by the United State Embassy, New Delhi and International Baseball Federation at Chandigharh in 2005. After performing well in first camp they were selected for advanced camp, jointly organized by the Baseball Federation of Asia and Amateur Baseball Federation of India in 2006. In recognition to its brilliant performance the Amateur Baseball Federation of India has allotted the 21st National Junior boys and girls tourunament-2009 to J&K Baseball Association. The JKBA has earned the honor of hosting this major sporting event for the first time. An expenditure of about rupees twelve lakhs is worked out on this mega sporting event. Since the Association has bleak financial position it is not possible for them to run the championship. The Association has requested the J&K State Sports Council and many other funding agencies to sponsor the tournament. This prestigious tournament will certainly provide a great opportunity to our youngmen to watch a good gala play of a game which is not much popular in Kashmir yet. It will also infuse a spirit of goodwill and sportsmanship among budding players. This is an encouraging development. Baseball needs to be developed in Kashmir to the maximum of its potential.

Baseball in Kashmir University:

Fida did not stop here only. It was his cherished desire to get Baseball included in the sports calendars of local Colleges and University. Till 2005 Baseball was not recognized by the Association of Indian Universities, New Delhi and no Inter-University tournament was held in this game, which created hurdle to introduce it in Kashmir University. Luckily in May 2005 the Annual General Meeting of All India Inter-University Board of Sports was convened in Kashmir University and on the persuasion of Kashmir University this game was recognized as a competitive discipline at All India Inter-University level. It was nearly after 22 years of its play at national level the game of baseball was finally introduced in Indian Universities. Soon after its recognition the Baseball Association helped Kashmir University in organizing the first-ever Inter-College Baseball tournament in summer 2005. The officials and equipment was provided to the University free of charges. Since then Kashmir University is regularly organizing Inter-College tournaments and fielding its men and women teams in the All India Inter-University Tournaments. Last year Kashmir University was entrusted the daunting responsibility of hosting the 3rd All India Inter-University Baseball Tournament for men and women in Srinagar. Nearly 30 teams of different Universities of the country took part in this prestigious tournament. It was in fact first-ever major baseball tournament held in the state. The University recently conducted the Annual Inter-College Baseball tournament and selected probables for forthcoming Inter-University Championship who are presently undergoing rigorous coaching camp at University campus.

Baseball in Local Schools:

With a view to catch them young, the J&K Baseball Association convinced the importance of baseball to the authorities of J&K Youth Services and Sports Department and got it recognized as a sporting event at Inter-School level. It features now in the Annual Sports calendar of the department. The department participated first time in 53rd National School Games (Baseball Championship) organized by the School Games Federation of India in Indoor, in the year 2006. It is delighting and commendable that the J&K boys and girls teams reached up to the quarter finals of the tournament in its very first attempt which was a big achievement of the department. It, therefore, proves that the J&K Baseball Association has left no stone unturned in promoting and developing the game of baseball in the entire state for which credit goes to Fida Hussain.

Published on 1st December, 2008 in Rising Kashmir