POSTED: June 30th 2009
NewsUpdate
Portugal and Brazil to bridge language barrier for baseball
LAURA WALDEN & KEIR RADNEDGE / Sports Features Communications
TAMPA: Portuguese baseball hopes to agree terms with the Brazilian federation to launch a development program to reach out to all Portuguese-speaking nations.
Sandra Monteiro, president of the Portuguese authority, told SportsFeatures.com that the agreement would follow the model set for Portugal's hosting, from July 11-19, of the second ACOLOP Games of the Portuguese Speaking Olympic Committees.
Baseball wants to be included as a demonstration sport at these Games and Monteiro hopes to launch her program there.
Countries included in the group are Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, East Timor, Guinea-Bissau, Macau (China), Mozambique, Portugal and São Tomé and Príncipe; India and Sri Lanka joined in 2006 and Equatorial Guinea is an associate member.
Monteiro is reaching out first to the Brazilians to get the development program off the ground then intends to move on to all the other countries in the group, using the Games as the vehicle.
Monteiro said: “Both federations have the desire to create a plan under the IBAF or MLB umbrella and thus start a protocol development program for the Portuguese-speaking countries including Africa.
“I have been in contact with the Brazilian sports minister and the Brazilian baseball federation and there is a great deal of interest in setting this up. I have even offered to be a link between South America and Europe.”
Monteiro noted that Brazil already has a growing academy and, with a Tampa Bay Rays academy scheduled to open next year, is on the up.
Many of the other countries in the group are developing baseball nations and the plan would help them set up recognized federations under the IBAF umbrella. Macao and Angola already intend to take this step.
Brazil and Portugal can help with human resources and manuals to assist organisation in the newer countries. Many have language barriers and the use of Portuguese manuals and mother tongue coaches enables sport integration.
The MLB has also initiated a four-year program to help Portuguese baseball with coaching clinics and human resources to upgrade their coaching levels.
The program in Portugal started this year successfully and should be followed next year by a more integrated program.
Monteiro said: “If we can conclude this agreement between Portugal and Brazil then next year we can open the door to the African countries of Portuguese cultures. This would be beneficial to MLB as well.”
Portugal is also applying to be the European host for an MLB Summer Camp for children and Pat Doyle, MLB's global coordinator for the envoy coach program, has already expressed interest in this. Possible dates are December this year and Easter of next year and would cover the continental region. It would be hosted in Portugal under the guidance of MLB which would provide coaches and instruction.
Picture (above right): (L to R) Harvey Schiller, IBAF President, Sandra Monteiro, Ian Young, IBAF Coordinator, Information Services for the 2009 Baseball World Cup, in Lausanne to lobby the IOC EB for baseball's inclusion on the 2016 Olympic Programme / Image: lake images
Keywords · IBAF · Sandra Monteiro · ACOLOP Games of the Portuguese Speaking Olympic Committees · Portuguese Baseball Federation · Brazilian Baseball Federation
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