The Satara Blue Jays won India's first-ever MLB Cup after defeating Pune Angels 14-4 in the final in Gurugram, Haryana.
Earlier in the day, Pune Angels beat Ahmednagar Athletics 17-6 in the first semi-final, while the Satara Blue Jays went past Kolhapur Braves 14-3 in the second Semi-Final. The youth tournament was conducted for the first time in India from December 10 to 12, 2021.
The MLB Cup, which demonstrates MLB's commitment to youth development and is a part of the League's larger initiative to have significant growth in participation levels for baseball in the country, is conducted in each of the countries in which Major League Baseball has a presence in.
A total of 12 teams namely Satara Blue Jays, Pune Angels, Malappuram White Sox, Pondicherry Mets, Kolhapur Braves, Malappuram Tigers, Indore Red Sox, Delhi Dodgers, Ahmednagar Athletics, Indore Pirates, Hyderabad Cubs, and Srinagar Rockies competed in the inaugural edition of the MLB Cup 2021 in Gurugram, Haryana.
"It was fantastic to host the first MLB Cup in India and great to see the boys and girls enjoy themselves playing baseball over the course of three days. This tournament was a great opportunity for the kids to enjoy the game of baseball through an MLB experience. We hope that the coaches, umpires, parents, and most importantly the players, had a great time and we would certainly look to host more tournaments in the future," said David Palese, Baseball Development Manager, in an official release.
Dinesh Patel, who was one of the first Indian-born athletes to sign a contract with an MLB club when he signed a contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates organization in 2008, attended the MLB Cup 2021 as a guest and also interacted with the participants.
"Major League Baseball has done a tremendous job by hosting the MLB Cup 2021. The tournament provided a brilliant platform to many children from around the country to show their talent and I was very fortunate to be here and witness this tournament. The children are very skilful baseball players and I am sure their experience here at the MLB Cup 2021 will provide a huge boost to their aspirations of becoming professional baseball players in the future," said Dinesh Patel.
The participants of the MLB Cup 2021 were provided with accommodation and to and fro travel to Gurugram from their hometowns. The teams were also provided with meals, uniforms, and equipment during their stay in Gurugram.
( With inputs from ANI )
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