Active Stocks
Thu Mar 28 2024 15:59:33
  1. Tata Steel share price
  2. 155.90 2.00%
  1. ICICI Bank share price
  2. 1,095.75 1.08%
  1. HDFC Bank share price
  2. 1,448.20 0.52%
  1. ITC share price
  2. 428.55 0.13%
  1. Power Grid Corporation Of India share price
  2. 277.05 2.21%
Business News/ Politics / News/  American dream comes true for Indian baseball enthusiasts
BackBack

American dream comes true for Indian baseball enthusiasts

American dream comes true for Indian baseball enthusiasts

Different ball game: (from left) India’s Dinesh Patel and Rinku Singh, winners of a nationwide baseball pitching contest, with US ambassador to India David C. Mulford (right) in New Delhi last week.Premium

Different ball game: (from left) India’s Dinesh Patel and Rinku Singh, winners of a nationwide baseball pitching contest, with US ambassador to India David C. Mulford (right) in New Delhi last week.

New Delhi: Two Indian teenagers are chasing an American dream as baseball professionals and their promoters hope they can stir up interest in the game in their cricket-mad homeland.

Rinku Singh, 18, and fellow javelin thrower Dinesh Patel began a year-long training stint in Los Angeles last week after winning an India-wide pitching contest, “The Million-Dollar Arm".

Different ball game: (from left) India’s Dinesh Patel and Rinku Singh, winners of a nationwide baseball pitching contest, with US ambassador to India David C. Mulford (right) in New Delhi last week.

The winners, who were handed their visas in a ceremony at the US embassy here, will get an opportunity to be assessed by professional baseball scouts at the end of their one-year stint.

Their US-based promoters are hoping the youngsters can make it as professionals, saying such success would boost baseball in India in the same way that Yao Ming’s move to the NBA, or National Basketball Association, created a fan base for basketball in China.

“Yao Ming has been a huge success in linking China and the US in basketball and has created over 350 million new fans of the game in China over the past seven years he has played in the US," said Jeff Bernstein, managing director of 7 Figures Management, a sports marketing and management firm.

“Our hope is that our contestants can duplicate that success in baseball, creating fans in India over time through following these Indian nationals in their baseball career in the US," he said in an email response to questions.

India, world cricket’s commercial hub, has become a big draw for other sports.

Golf is taking giant strides and India staged its first European Tour events this year while soccer authorities are pushing to revive the game in the country. The Australian Football League announced plans this month to push the game in India in their search for new markets.

Singh, son of a truck driver from Uttar Pradesh, won the first prize of $100,000 after pitching at 140km per hour, or kmph, and being declared the most accurate. Patel was fastest overall at 143kmph but was second in accuracy while the 17-year-old Shukla topped 138kmph.

Bernstein said he decided to test the throwing skills among Indian youngsters after watching a game of cricket. “That led to the idea to run a contest and identify those arms to see if any of them could be trained to play baseball in the US."

The winners began their stay in Los Angeles with trips to watch their first live baseball games. “The training has started and it feels very good," Singh said by telephone. “We’ve just got back after watching a match, we had no clue about the game."

The left-handed Singh, who has hurled the javelin to a modest distance of 67m, is aware of the tough job on hand. “The first trial was held when I had taken a break from my athletics training because of injury. Our coach told me and Dinesh that they were looking for a ‘bowler’ in this game," he said. “I tried and felt good because here, too, you throw the ball javelin style."

One of seven children, Singh is hoping he can forge a professional career. “My father was a truck driver but he is at home for the last one year," he said. “I want to buy a truck for him. My (family) background is very bad."

Dipesh Solanki, an Indian coach doubling up as interpreter for the boys, said the prize money had been a big attraction. “Actually, 80% of them wanted to throw the ball and become rich."

Although Major League Baseball games are televised live in India, they do not attract the same interest as NBA games or Formula One races.

Reuters

Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!

Catch all the Politics News and Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates & Live Business News.
More Less
Published: 14 May 2008, 12:04 AM IST
Next Story footLogo
Recommended For You
Switch to the Mint app for fast and personalized news - Get App