Cambodia Opens Regular Season for Baseball

Kampong Thom, Cambodia (25 February 2011)

Cambodian baseball players prepare for opening Regular Season

Cambodian National Baseball Team (CNBT) of Cambodia baseball Federation (CBAF) organized Opening Regular Season of the 2011 CNBT on February 25 in Balaingk Sport Complex, Balaingk District, Kampong Thom province to change new page for baseball in Cambodia.

The main goal of this event is to improve quality of playing in the international competition such as the upcoming 26^th SEA Games to be held in Indonesia this November 11-25. This event also aim to introduce the game and league to the people in Cambodia and around the world that Cambodia do play professional baseball league; to promote and increase the number of baseball players, participants, volunteers, and fans in Cambodia to learn and play the game as well as the excitement in the sport of baseball, to provide the unique tools to educate the baseball game for people in Cambodia that the sport of baseball can be as fun as any other sports in Cambodia and giving the passion and the loves of the game to the children t over Cambodia through our regular season games.

Mr. Joe Cook, president of CBAF said that the Opening Regular Season is the first time in Cambodia Baseball history of Cambodia, which has the opening regular season in Khmer professional baseball league.

He noted that since 2003 to 2010, Cambodia has no baseball regular season, but it is not really a Khmer professional league. It was just a short term of baseball league. He continued that CNBT will play two leagues in 2011 regular season: first term and final term. The first term starts from February to April, which has 38 games. For the final term, it starts from June to August, which has 45 games.

Two national terms included South National team and North national team participated in this event. These baseball athletes come from all over country especially Bonteay Meanchey, Svey, Kompong Thom, Kampong Cham, Siem Reap, Kampong Chhang and Phnom Penh,” he said.

Through events that CBAF created National Baseball Competition such as Cambodian Little League Tournament, All Stars, CNBT Championship, Baseball Clinic and many events since 2003-2010 with opening regular season, “I expected that the baseball athlete’s quality will be able to challenge in the SEA Game of Third Place or better and Cambodia ranking in the world top 40 teams,” he said. “I hope that school and communities begin their interest of involvement with baseball program by the end of this year, while it hoped that children starting to ask their parent to take them to our baseball game, or clinic.”

After opening regular reason on February 25 to April 20, CNBT will launch CNBT Championship on April 22, 23, and 24.

By S.L (Vol.5, Issue 9, SEAW)