Friendly Baseball Match

Already a well-rooted tradition in Georgia, the inception of which goes back seven years, the Georgian National Baseball Team and the United States Marines Team, called WARRIORS, enjoy regular annual sporting encounters in Tbilisi. On July 23, the Mikheil Meskhi stadium in Vake hosted a friendly match between the two in an event jointly organized by the Ministry of Defense of Georgia and the Georgian National Baseball and Softball Federation.

After an eight-year break, Baseball and Softball have been returned to the ranks of Olympic Sports and the Georgian Youth National Team is starting its athletic struggle on the European arena by travelling in a week’s time to participate in the European Championship in Austria, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

The recent baseball match played an important role in giving the Georgian team some experience. It also contributed to better informing the public about the ‘Wounded Georgian Soldiers Program’. Many soldiers from the United States fought shoulder to shoulder in the same battlefields as the Georgian military peacekeepers and Georgian soldiers need the valuable support of our public.

The match, attended by officials from the Georgian government and diplomatic corps, was held in a very friendly atmosphere with club marches and other entertainment offered during the breaks. The match was accompanied by live commentary. 15 Georgian soldiers injured in peacekeeping missions were present at the stadium and were given special gifts from companies like OSHEE, Adidas, Reebok and Red Bull. The result of friendly matches in general is not too important, as what matters most is the spirit itself; however, the Georgian baseball team won the match.

During the match, beer, soft drinks and spring water were offered by sponsoring companies Natakhtari and Borjomi.

A very special role is being played by Casino Shangri La in the development of Georgian baseball. This company, along with the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs of Georgia, is sponsoring the Georgian Youth Baseball National Team U-23 at the European Championship of 2017. And the truth is that any sport, including baseball, has zero chance of development without the financial assistance of those who are kindly ready to volunteer it.

The recent match was supported by the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs of Georgia, Georgian Post, the Georgian Football Federation and Friends of Georgian Baseball & Softball Foundation.

Your obedient servant, the author of these words, has played his traditional role of Master of Ceremonies. Hopefully, this baseball tradition will continue for many years to come. After all, this is what makes the two nations of ours closer and, certainly, happier.

Nugzar B. Ruhadze