“A diamond is a girl’s best friend only this one has four bases and a lot of dirt and grass.”

Contrary to popular belief softball is not merely a toned down version of baseball. The sport is as hard and competitive as its more famed cousin. Although the indoor version of baseball later transformed into softball around 125 years ago, the actual name to the sport was given some 80 years ago when American and international softball bodies were formed.

A regular softball game is played between two teams consisting of nine players each, the sport is often dubbed as a high-tempo, low-scoring game. Played on a diamond shaped field made up of a home-plate and three bases, the aim is to score more runs than the other team.

A run is scored when a batter hits a fair ball and runs around all the bases anti-clockwise to the home-plate. The fielding team must try and get the batting team out (by dismissing three players) and keep them from reaching the home-plate to score a run. Once the fielding team has dismissed the opposing team, it is their turn to bat, and so on. This is referred to as an inning.

There are two forms of softball — slow pitch and fast pitch. Fast pitch softball is widely played especially at competition level, while slow pitch softball is promoted as a recreational sport. In a normal game of fast pitch softball, each game has seven innings, with three ‘outs’ in each inning.

A game lasts about an hour, with an equal number of innings (times at bat) for both teams. An inning ends when the team batting accrues three OUTs. The order of batting remains the same for each inning.

The batting order continues where it left off at the end of the last inning.

Over the years the sport has soared in popularity and now has a global reach. More than 100 countries are affiliated with the world body besides making an Olympic appearance from 1995 to 2008.

The sport is not restricted to females. Around the world men take part in the event and while the impression is that the following has a major tilt towards women, the fact remains that men’s events attract great attention too.

Pakistan, too, is climbing up the ladder and the sport is thriving in many private schools with girls taking an active part especially in major cities of the country.

Governing body

The Softball Federation of Pakistan (SFP) is the governing body; SFP has been affiliated with International Softball Federation (ISF) and Softball Confederation of Asia (SCA) and Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) and is recognised by the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB).

The SFP is a non-profit federation registered under the Pakistan Societies Act and comprises mostly of sport enthusiasts who are keen on spreading the game around the country and turning Pakistan into a potent force at the continental and the world level.

While funding remains a major hurdle the federation ventures to send teams for international assignments and is also keen on setting up a solid base for players, coaches and enthusiasts alike. At present the annual grant is Rs400,000 provided by the PSB; the grant is meagre at best which hampers the development programmes for promotion of the game around the country.

SFP has various bodies that have a presence in all four provinces with the provincial bodies aiming to execute polices and guidelines set forth by the parent national body. Islamabad also has a softball presence and is in close liaison with the rest of the provincial bodies.

Besides the provinces, Pakistan Army, Navy and Police have also established softball teams.

Despite being plagued by limited financial assistance national championships and age-grade events are held regularly.

Besides the men and women’s national events the game is also played and supported by the parent body at the senior and junior levels.

The SFP sanctions zonal championships and provides technical trainings (coaching, umpiring, management and play field) at the provincial and district level, working for spreading interest in the game and drawing new players from every nook and corner of the country.

The SFP affiliates have been regularly conducting promotional activities for the sport even at school, colleges, open club and rural levels; the aim is to provide technical and infrastructural support.

The challenge

Devoid of a proper infrastructure the SFP is left to organise events on cricket grounds around the country, to-date there isn’t even one softball-centric venue in Pakistan hence the development of the game is clearly hampered.

The president of the body Mohammad Saleem Khan and his fellow stakeholders are braced with a major obstacle in this regard. One of the pioneering members and an active advocate of the sport in Karachi is Asif Azeem. Deployed as the national coach Azeem is keen on working hard with his troops with an aim of giving an impetus to softball in the country with a series of good performances in international events.

The Dav Whatmore of softball has been at the helm for a few years now. Besides taking the team to various events at the Asian level he has made special appearances at major international tournaments, including the recently-concluded softball world cup held in Auckland, New Zealand.

He was specially invited for the event in New Zealand as an observer based on his long-term commitment and association with various sports especially softball.

Azeem thinks that there is potential for softball in the country and some of the schools especially the ones schooling kids with affluent backgrounds have a strong base. Karachi Grammar School and Beacon House are the two traditional powerbases for softball with the students there taking an active part in the sport for the last four decades.

Azeem, who himself has represented the national team, feels that Karachi along with Peshawar remain the strongholds of softball especially for female players. The girls from northern are, due to their genetic strength, are ideally placed for hitting the ball hard.

What inspires the softball fraternity is the similarity of the sport to cricket, the objective is very much the same; hit the ball as hard as possible and for the bowlers to restrict the batters or send them packing.

The craze for cricket means that softball doesn’t need to lurk behind too much in fact with Pakistan’s women cricket team progressing at international events, the motivation for young girls is there.

Boys with an interest in baseball are also keen on honing their skills at softball; the interest runs deep in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and other major cities of Punjab.

According to Azeem some 10 women championships have been organised over the years while on the other hand male players have taken part in three national events over the years.

At the international level Pakistan is clubbed in the south west region rubbing shoulders with the likes of India, Iran and Iraq.

Following the roll-out plan and advise from the international body, Indore was set to host the first south-west region championship in March. However, the prevailing tense relations between India and Pakistan caused the postponement of the championship.

Now Pakistan has offered to host the championship when a viable timeslot is agreed upon and more importantly the strained relations between the two countries ease off.

The national coach was full of praise for ISF, the governing body, which has played a stellar role in promoting Pakistan.

Leading the way in this regard is Don E. Porter, president of ISF while the Secretary General ISF and President SCA Miss Beng Choo Low (Dato) also has a special place for Pakistan in her heart and have left no stone unturned in doing her utmost for the promotion of the game in the country.

On the other hand, Azeem laments the fact that there is not even a single softball playing field in the country. However, SFP is working on gaining access to a property in Clifton, Karachi, where they aim to build a specific softball venue.

The facility when handed over to the federation would be transformed into a standard playing area in some six months.

The national body is focused on bringing the game forward at the grassroots level. According to Azeem, next month an inter-school championship is planned across major cities, this series would culminate in a national inter-school championship where winners and finalists would be merged in a 10-team competition.

Azeem is also spending his energy on compiling a book titled Softball and Pakistan with an aim of spreading awareness on the sport and how it is being played in the country. He is excited about the project and hopes his effort would attract youngsters to the sport all across the country.

In the longer run, softball organisers are hoping to attract sponsors and donors who can team up and take the game forward, their focus is providing youngsters, especially females, the option of playing an international-class sport which would help nurture their physical and mental abilities and make them a force to be reckoned with.

The writer is a sports anchor/reporter at DawnNews.