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9/21/2009 PONY Baseball for Teenagers in Korea The basic points of daily life physical exercise are that it is enjoyable in any time, by any body, and in any where. In this point of view, baseball is still far from item of daily physical exercises in Korea. Even though pro-baseball game is opening everyday in major four playgrounds in this nation, but it is difficult that general students of primary school, middle school, and high school meet the chance to play it.
Also the cost to play it is quite expensive. However, despite of this, baseball is very helpful sport to teenager in points that this is a sport of respecting rules, and a sport to training themselves through endless practice. Pony baseball is still largely strange name in Korea, but this is also one of sport groups to practice such willingness. The title PONY is made of front letters of each words of this phrase "Protect Our Nation's Youth". That is to say, it means that baseball is for juvenile. Pony league has been started at YWCA of the state of Pennsylvania and organized in 1950's as an international organization in order to help juvenile, and to make them grow as sound, healthy, and happy adults through baseball and softball. In Korea, baseball of juvenile is progressing mainly focused on school sports but world widely little league and pony league are leading this sport. Pony league that is relatively little known is actually very much activated in America to the degree that even over 2000 numbers of clubs are entered as members. The specialty of pony baseball is, differently with little league, that it is a sport that man and woman can play together and league is organizing according to ages. Pony league is consisting according to ages of 7 leagues of various names, such of shuttle land league(5~6 ages), pinto league(7~8ages), mustang league(9~10 ages) in two ages gap. The size of baseball ground is also regulated according ages, and distance between bases, distance between pitcher and catcher, distance to fence, and height of mound are all different. Korea was a nation far from pony baseball and softball until last year. However the Korea Pony Baseball & Softball Association (President : Kim Young-Woong) has been approved as legally authorized group from the world federation in June of last year.
And in last year and this year, the preliminary completion game in Asia region has been open twice successively. In this game which was open in Korea was a bronco league that players of 11~12 ages are participating and it was a preliminary competition game of Asia & Pacific regions in 2009, combining the preliminary game for the world bronco league.
In this game participated four countries such as Korea, Japan, Hongkong, and Taiwan. The sport event was launched from 18th to 24th of July in the athletic park of Bulam mountain of Gongreung-dong, Seoul. The Korea has sent the representative players of Seoul city, but regretfully missed the ticket to going to main game of the world completion, which is to be given to 1st rank players, and the Korean team stayed in semifinals loosing game as 3-4 against Taiwan team.
The Secretary-General of the National Softball Association, Jang Nam-Je said, “I hope pony baseball would be known more widely in the future, and wish an environment that our young teenagers can play baseball more easily in a baseball ground.”
Reporter, Kim, Hyo- Gyeong Translate Korean into English by Korea Pony Association / Korea Softball Association of Sport For All - President, Kim, Young-Woong |
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