Baseball5 makes steady progress in Venezuela
A street game played by kids in the Country, Pelotica de Goma, recalls the new urban version of baseball-softball. This is one of the reasons why the National Baseball Federation is trying to spread Baseball Five all over Venezuela
Kids in Venezuela have known a street game called Pelotica de Goma for decades, but never thought what they played for recreation could become a global sport.
WBSC introduced Baseball5 in Venezuela in October 2018. Since then, two fields dedicated to the new urban version of baseball-softball were built in the Country. One is in Caracas (Universidad Bolivariana de Venezuela) and the other one is in Jacinto Lara sports complex in Barquisimeto, the city where the Lara Cardenales, the defending champions of the domestic Professional Baseball League (LVBP, Liga Venezolana de Beisbol Profesional) are based.
The President of the National Baseball Federation of (FEVEBEISBOL) Aracelys Leon confirmed that Baseball5 is being developed all over the Country as a co-ed discipline.
“Teams are made of five men and three women,” commented Leon “and the game can be played at all ages and everywhere since Baseball5 requires very little space.”
The President of Baseball Association of the Lara State (Asociaciòn de Beisbol del Estado Lara, ABEL) Carlos Torres believes that Baseball5 can represent “an alternative” to introduce kids to baseball and softball. Also because only a ball is required to play Baseball5 and this makes the urban version of baseball-softball definitely economic.
Venezuela recently finished in second place the Baseball5 Open de Las Americas in Colombia.
