New away championship for blind baseball, the field isn’t there

Years at the top of the rankings. Titles won. Social engagement among young people. On March 26, they begin a new season in the National League of Baseball for the Blind. But they remain without a home, forced to always play away. «For the second year we will play our matches “at home” in Bergamo – explains Sarwar Ghulam, president and player of Leonessa Brescia BxC – even if we will make our debut in this championship by playing the first home match even in Varese – on the diamond of the opponents – for the ‘unavailability of the Bergamo field on the first day as well».

But the sporting nomadism hasn’t dampened the enthusiasm of the team, still among the most popular in the championship which is played at a national level, this year with 9 teams, after the defection of two clubs that were unable to sign up. “We have a Nonew coach, very young. It is Usman Mohammad, 23, who was assistant to our coach, Michele Bianchi, now busy with his degree thesis. He is very good and prepared ».

Among the fixed points in the team, there is Barbara Menoni, recovering from physical problems which however have not made her lose the desire for baseball and not even to commit herself to the Federation which has entrusted her with a series of tasks for the dissemination of baseball for the blind . “And then this year we have many young people who have approached the team and that will help us to spread our sport», the president continues.

But among the objectives there is precisely that of involving blind or visually impaired children in sports with the intention of making them socialize and making them overcome mental barriers that could confine them within the home. “We do a lot of activity in schools to inform, train and make teachers and students aware of disability and the problems of blind and visually impaired people». And the results bring satisfaction and also the energy to face new adventures. «This winter, to keep us active in view of the new baseball season, we also participated in the national goalball championship, a sort of handball for the blind. A good experience, even if a bit expensive, above all for the commitments of the trips». And with one satisfaction: «I received a call to participate in an internship with the national goalball team in October. At stake is participation in the European Championships».

In the meantime, his head remains on baseball-related projects. «We have important support from the Intesa San Paolo Foundation and from Bper Banca, as well as from the Centrale del Latte. The concern remains the field. We also use the San Polo hockey pitch for training, but it’s synthetic and not good for our slides. Given that we have not found support at an institutional level, we dream that one day a private individual calls us to tell us that he has an area to be made available for our activities. It would be beautiful.”