POND ISLAND–Four teams are set and ready to play ball, play baseball. That was the sentiment at the opening ceremony for the Pelican Baseball League at the Little League Stadium on Sunday. The four teams are the Mets, Elites, Owls and Blue Jays. At the opening, which was headed by Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports, Rudolphe Samuel, the general expression that this league was long overdue and everyone was happy to be back at the stadium playing ball.
Samuel wished all the teams well and promised as Minister of Sports to continue the upgrade of the facilities and the sport. He urged the Baseball Association to keep the vision alive. Samuel also stated that sports help to keep the people of the country healthy. Also in attendance was the Director of Sports, Jonelle Richardson, Louis ‘Pork Chop’ Richardson who did the ceremonial opening pitch and members of the Baseball Association.
Master of Ceremonies, Elton Jones who was a former Island Council member and Commissioner pleaded with parents to come to the stadium to watch their children play because he opined that children play better when their parents are present. He also mentioned that a professional system has to be developed on St. Maarten so that national players could represent St. Maarten and be credited for it at the same time. Jones further stated, ‘We are bogged down with who from here and who not from here. One of the problems with that is that the kids that were born here from parents from other countries are not going anywhere. And if we don’t help them with their choice of sports or their choice of profession, they are going to become our social problem, 5, 10 years down the line.’
In the opening match, The Elites thumped The Mets 20 to 1.
