Sohail Ali
LAHORE, Apr 20 (APP)::Pakistan Federation Baseball (PFB) President Syed Fakhar Ali Shah here Monday announced establishment of baseball academies in Sindh to provide an ideal platform to promising players to polish their skills and represent the country at international level.
He made the announcement during a meeting with PFB senior vice president. After the meeting, Fakhar Shah told APP that the PFB had set up baseball academies to train young players in Punjab, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). Continuing its mission, the PFB would establish such academies in Sindh also in near future.
“As soon as the ongoing coronavirus pandemic is over, we will be starting work to select the cities in Sindh for setting up baseball academies under the watchful eyes of experienced national coaches,” he said.
“Despite having no government funds for eight international events, we managed to ensure participation of our team in six events from our own resources,” said a PFB official, adding “Two international, out of eight, events have been postponed owing to coronavirus outbreak.”
Mohammad Mohsin Khan, who is also the president of Sindh Baseball Association, said that due to non-availability of government funds for sports, they would be setting up baseball academies in Sindh with the personal efforts of PFB president, who had also promised provision of baseball equipment for these institutions.
“We have also decided to name Syed Fakhar Shah as the patron of Sindh baseball academies,” he added.
Mohammad Mohsin will act as chairman and Ms Aisha Irum will be the women wing in-charge of the academies.
Academy’s directors and woman coordinators will have a consultation with the Sindh Baseball Association.
Meanwhile, Sindh baseball players have welcomed the setting up of academies in the province and termed it a big step forward to promote the game on solid lines and to groom the talented players on long-term basis.