The Strike Out: Haiti Baseball Feature
Thanks to The Strike Out for the great feature interview with Mr. Gardy Cyriaque Prophète, the President of the Haitian Baseball and Softball Association. To view the original interview (in French) click here:
https://thestrikeoutfrance.com/2017/04/29/le-baseball-en-haiti-part-de-zero/
TRANSLATION TO ENGLISH BELOW:
Baseball in Haiti Starts at Zero
by Vladimir Renteria (translated by BSI's Danielle Berman)
Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, has the distinction of sharing its island with the Dominican Republic. Between the two countries, there is no love lost and you do not find the same passion for baseball. So what in Saint Dominigue is a sport that has been practiced for more than 100 years, in Port-au-Prince it has been only three short years that we've seen real interest in the activity. The Strike Out sat down with Gardy Cyriaque Prophète, the President of the Haitian Baseball and Softball Association.
The Strike Out: Could you present and explain your mission within the Haitian Baseball Federation?
Gardy Cyriaque Prophète: I am Gardy Cyriaque Prophète, the President of the Haitian Baseball and Softball Association. Baseball and softball are new activities in Haiti and it is this fact that is the main difficulty because there is everything to do. We are obligated to deal with multiple constraints from the non-existence of infrastructures, the lack of coaches and other qualified trainers. Daily, we face indescribable challenges. Add to that the fact that in Haiti, a government grant for sport or sport activities does not exist. Members of the Haitian Olympic Committee regularly solicit to finance the Association's activities considering what they are sponsoring is something that is done occasionally and punctually.
TSO: Baseball is not a very popular sport in Haiti, soccer and basketball are the dominant activities. However, for almost 20 years and until 1990, Rawlings had entrusted their manufacturing production to Haitian know-how. Even if their departure from the island was brutal, that collaboration must have had some positive affects on baseball in Haiti?
GCP: Baseball has been a part of the panorama of Haitian sport for three years now. This activity, same with softball, is not familiar with the existence of Rawlings in Haiti. However the attempts to launch baseball in Haiti were common at a certain time, but they were individual efforts that did not survive. Now there is an association recognized by the WBSC, the Pan American Baseball Confederation, the Haitian Olympic Committee and the country of Haiti.
TSO: We know that relations between the Dominican Republic and Haiti have never been very good. Yet your vision is to be THE stronghold of baseball outside of the USA. Is there any cooperation on the sports level between your countries?
GCP: Haiti is found in a region where baseball is known at the highest level in the world, which is not a handicap in itself but the challenge is great in the midst of these giants. Some of our neighbors have more than a century of history in the sport of baseball while in Haiti it is barely 3 years.
Despite the historical difficulties that exist, indeed an agreement between Haiti and the Dominican Republic and the cooperation that is already recently active with the Dominican government and Baseball Federation have proceeded to the formation of technical executives for our association. We hope to deepen this cooperation soon through a developmental program of baseball along the common border of the two countries with the support of the Dominicans and encourage constant exchanges between the youths of both sides of the border.
TSO: Last May you announced the creation of the first baseball field in Haiti, where are you in terms of infrastructure?
GCP: Thanks to this program, the Haitian Baseball and Softball Association just received from the Haitian government no less than 24 pieces of land on the border and are waiting to receive 12 others. But these are uncertainties that we will have to intervene on for the correct updates. At this time, I can tell you our association has the property titles available for the fields but does not yet have the means to proceed with surveying operations. The Association faces another strong challenge. More donors are making promises to help us but the realization of these promises is extremely slow.
TSO: From now on, is baseball a sport that matters in Haiti?
GCP: The practice and administration are today permanent for Haiti.The fact that now baseball exists in an institutional manner, there is a stronger bet that it will be perennial in Haiti since it is already impossible to circumvent. In the last three years of existence, the Association already counts 500 participants and no less than 14 leagues, some of which have several teams. Without our lack of financial resources to form and recruit coaches, baseball will be a well known activity in Haiti.
TSO: The best way for baseball in Haiti to win popularity would be to create a national team and compete in World Competitions...
GCP: Haiti already has a national team, the players have returned from the USA and the Dominican Republic mainly and we plan to participate in the next Central American and Caribbean Games. But... with with financial resources?
TSO: Is the MLB followed in Haiti? Do they know the professional players?
GCP: Baseball is followed in Haiti in a certain environment, and by those who have lived in the Dominican Republic, Cuba and the USA. But the popularity will grow rapidly once we have our first baseball tournament in the history of Haiti from May 5- June 3, 2017., in 15 days. It will be made up of 6 youth teams (17-18 year olds) in the Port-au-Prince area.