Local baseball league bridges young and old on the field
發佈日期: 2025-05-04 16:57
TVB News
A Hong Kong "baseball league" aims to bring together the young and old on the field.
The local charity initiative is now eyeing bigger fields preparing cross-generational players to pit against Taiwan's star elderly baseball squad around the end of 2025.
Juniors and seniors with a gap of up to 70 years between them bridged by baseball bats. These intergenerational baseball teams, trained for more than two years, are set up by charity Empathy for Elderly.
For the third year running, this year's ball game saw more than 100 players take part.
Sixty-seven-year-old Chor said his interest in baseball began more than three decades ago when he brought his son to play the sport but work left him with no time for athletic pursuits. That's why he cherishes the opportunity now even more.
They played alongside teenage members from the Hong Kong U15 and U18 teams.
ZANDER: "I learned from the elderly that it's like they are trying to help each other, go step by step, one step at a time. Each time, they go bit by bit. That's how they improve."
ASHER: "Their spirit is good, and they don't give up, and they keep trying hard to keep scoring."
LEONARDO, Parent: "I think that's a great opportunity to interact with generations that he doesn't deal with otherwise every day."
The organiser said baseball is one of the slower-paced team sports that offer roles for players with different abilities to enjoy.
NIVEY TSANG, Co-founder, Empathy for the Elderly: "Baseball, we do not have a lot of body contact so that people can play safely. It allows different elderly (people) with different physical strength to perform at their best. It's a sport about how you accept the failure and improve yourself."
Later this year, the organisation will field a team to Taiwan for the third consecutive year to compete with the local senior baseball team.
While over the past two years, the team were not able to make an upset, they told us they will continue to work hard and strive for a breakthrough.
The organiser hopes to encourage seniors to pursue their dreams and rise above challenges facing the city's ageing population through the nine-inning game.
