As the Guyana Baseball League (GBL) advances negotiations to add Guyana as an active member to its international roster, president Robin Singh last Friday gave Stabroek Sport’s Clifton Ross an outline of the league’s schedule, including plans to run a PONY league contest here next month.
Baseball was introduced here two years ago and has made several giant leaps since then. Singh said in 2012, “we were an idea, no bats, no balls, no gear, no field, we were guided by a comprehensive plan most of which is still applicable today. We can boast of dozens of qualified coaches, hundreds of players, and most importantly,
great interest from all regions of Guyana from people wanting to get on board. We hosted training camps, played good quality games, attracted Major League scouts to Guyana, coming up on two years, we can say we are no longer an idea we are here to stay.”
CR: “You mentioned the lack of a field, when can we expect to see the first purpose built baseball facility in Guyana?”
RS: “We have taken a holistic approach to development and have prepared a comprehensive proposal for a multi-sport facility; we have approached Guyana Office for Investment (Go-invest to) negotiate for an area of land on our behalf.”
CR: “What has the response been to your proposal?
RS: “It has been lukewarm, given the opportunities that baseball offers to the youth of Guyana, to access educational scholarships and professional sporting jobs the response from Government has been short-sighted.”
CR: “Why do you think the government has not been more forthcoming? After all, it has been reported at various events that you have held that baseball is a US$23 billion per year industry in the USA alone.”
RS: “I expect government to be cautious with public assets, and land is an asset that has to be carefully managed; however, I can confidently say there is no other industry that can match us in terms of benefit to the citizens of Guyana than that of baseball. We would be joining a sport industry that generates US$23B annually. Locally, our plan would create new jobs for our children. Future generations will have opportunity to work and earn from this lucrative and fastest growing international sport… a simple Google search for baseball opportunities will provide all the evidence to back my claims. I also think that many view baseball as a threat to cricket and fear baseball will replace the ‘national sport.’”
CR: Should people be worried that this American sport would take over?”
RS: “I have no doubt baseball will become the most popular bat and ball sport in Guyana as Guyanese come to realize the opportunities offered by this sport are second to none in the world. Our children are naturally gifted athletes who thrive on new challenges, baseball rewards the athlete at every level, high school, college, university and, for the lucky few, professional baseball contracts.”
CR: How realistic is the possibility of Guyana producing professional players in the near future? Given that other countries have been playing the game for years and enjoy high quality training facilities such as the MLB academies in the Dominican Republic?”
RS: “Following our E-Networks Baseball Star talent search, five players have been invited to an MLB academy and will spend one to 3 months before being offered to major league teams on contract.”
CR: Five players! That’s impressive! I know that visiting major league scouts have been impressed by the budding talent so how does this process work and what do the players stand to gain from it?
RS: “All of Guyana’s players are represented by a top ‘player agency’ in the USA, this was arranged by us on recommendation of the Baltimore Orioles Organization; which offers them quality representation and protection from possible exploitation. Players can earn signing bonuses from as low as G$10 million to as high as US$2M, that’s G$400M – that would not be unusual and we expect signings at the upper end to become a regular occurrence once we establish our own academy in Guyana.”
CR: “If this can be done at academies in the US, why the urgent need for a facility in Guyana?”
RS: “For any sport to develop properly the need for elite training is vital. Our own facility means we can play the game at a higher level at home, produce a higher volume of players, hone our skills and guide our athletes to heights previously thought impossible, baseball is not only about the game and its skills but encompasses a high standard of behaviour and personal values of the athlete.”
CR: “How can parents get their children involved in the sport?”
RS: Contact a GBL Manager near you. Send an email to admin@baseballguyana.com, or check our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/GuyanaBaseballLeague
CR: “What about gear, bats and gloves?”
RS: “Presently, due to efforts by Mark Gafur, our VP in the USA and Pitch-in for Baseball, a US-based charitable organization, we have enough bats and balls, an acute shortage of gloves still exists and we continue to seek donations of new and used gloves from Guyanese and others abroad.
Cr: “What are the remaining plans for the year?”
RS: “We expect to run a PONY league age bracketed competition in August, followed by participation in the 18U World cup qualifiers in Mexico (September).”
CR: “What international or regional ideas does the GBL have brewing?”
RS: “Our first foray into international competition would be the 18U, we hope to be able to attract funding for more regional competition which gives our players exposure to higher levels of competition.”
CR: “Any courses for umpires and coaches in the future?”
RS: “We have an umpiring and scoring certification course planned for the off season (December-February).”
