KUALA LUMPUR: The inaugural National Baseball League 2023, organised by the Baseball Federation of Malaysia (BFM), is expected to begin in January.
BFM president Sazali Husain said the introduction of the league is to unearth more new talents from the grassroots level for the national team in the future.
“We had one (league) in 2017 but it wasn’t sanctioned. This time it is sanctioned and we have also roped in two sponsors - Bubbles02 Sdn Bhd and Aeon Big Sdn Bhd.
“We have received a very encouraging response, with six teams - Johor, Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur, Negeri Sembilan, Perlis dan Kedah - already confirming their spots. Entries are still open until the end of November,” he told reporters at the Kuala Lumpur Sports Industry Expo (EISKL) 2022 in Bukit Jalil today.
Sazali said the league would use the Baseball Federation of Asia (BFA) and World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) format, but it will be tweaked to suit the local players.
However, he said the prize money for the league, which is expected to last three months, has yet to be determined.
“We received sponsorship for a total of RM160,000, but we have yet to hold talks with the sponsors on the amount to be given to the winners. For this edition, we will also allow the participation of foreign players to help the states strengthen their teams,” he said.-Bernama
