ASSAM | Baseball to be promoted in Assam colleges ahead of 2020 Olympics

Guwahati, 3 Nov 2017: Director of state higher education, BL Sarma has appealed colleges to introduce and promote the game as a regular sports event in the college in view of the fact that baseball has now been introduced in the upcoming 2020 Olympics baseball on their campuses.

"The prospects of the game (baseball) are very promising as India is currently ranked below 50 in the world rankings and has won the gold and bronze medal in Iran and Pakistan in 2016," Sarma said.

Experts said that the decision was taken to keep the 2020 Japan Olympics in mind. The similarities between cricket and baseball may encourage more people to take up baseball.

The Assam Baseball Association which is recognized by the Union ministry of youth affairs and sports along with chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal has already taken up promotion of the game in the state with the Sonowal as the chief patron of the association.

Sources in the education department said that the sport is yet to start as regular activity alongside classroom teaching at the college level in Assam; as so, the higher education directorate's initiative may usher in a change in the state's sporting arena if a similar strategy is adopted for other games.

Source: TNT News with inputs from Times of India