Portraits of National Sports Association

Hong Kong Baseball Association

Baseball is a sport which requires physical fitness and teamwork. In this issue, we are glad to have invited the association to tell us about its roles and duties, and its direction.

Mr Philip Li, Chairman of the Hong Kong Baseball Association

Baseball was introduced into Hong Kong in the last century. Baseball activities were held in Hong Kong since as early as the 40s. In the 70s, Mr. Laurence Lee founded the first Chinese Baseball youth team that was enlisted in the Hong Kong Little League. However, the lack of training resources for local Baseball players made it difficult for them to rival American and Japanese players. To improve the level of local Baseball, the Hong Kong Baseball Association was founded in 1992 to proactively promote Baseball and simultaneously provide comprehensive training to local players. At present, there are 38 affiliated clubs and more than 1,500 members.

Hong Kong Baseball Association persevered in the cultivation of Baseball for twenty years, and the Hong Kong team participated in many overseas competitions. The men’s team enrolled in large-scale events such as the Chinese National Games and the Asian Cup, and competed in the Incheon Asian Games in 2014; the women’s team played in the World Cup for many times and is currently ranked ninth in the world. 

The Baseball Association organized a series of international competitions, e.g. it organized the Phoenix Cup for seven consecutive years, and hosted the IBAF Hong Kong International Baseball Open since 2012 – a competition in which teams from America, Australia, Japan, and Taiwan, etc., were invited to play in Hong Kong. The association also hosts annual local league competitions, including the Men’s division and the Women’s division competitions, to allow baseball lovers to nurture their skills through contention with each other.

With regards to community-wide promotion, the training courses offered by the Baseball Association are divided into the family fun group, youth group and adult group, etc., to accommodate learners from the age of 5 to 64. Chairman Mr. Lee pointed out that senior players can still enjoy games in Division C with a basic level of skill even if their stamina cannot keep up with the stamina of youngsters. They can also enjoy baseball as a family activity and have fun with their children. At the moment, there are 17 affiliated clubs funded by the Community Sports Club Project of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department to promote baseball in the neighbourhoods.

Unfortunately, there have been some difficulties in the introduction of baseball into schools. Mr. Lee said that many schools thought of baseball as a dangerous sport. In fact, baseball players have a lower probability of having physical contact with their opponents when compared to soccer and basketball player, thus there is a lower chance of injury; moreover, paper balls can be used for training to ensure safety. Mr. Lee emphasized that “for a sport to develop, we must focus our efforts on youngsters.” Therefore, the association will further promote baseball in secondary and primary schools. Team ball sports are about team spirit and communication, both of which have a symbolic significance to our community. He hopes baseball will become one of the elite sports in Hong Kong, so that more resources will be available for baseball development.

If you are interested in baseball, please visit the homepage of the Hong Kong Baseball Association (url: www.hkbaseball.org) or contact their staff at 25048330.