5th Federation Cup baseball championship in Goa from May 13

Panaji, May 9 (UNI) Altogether 12 qualified teams, including eight men and four women, will participate in the fifth Federation Cup baseball championship to be held at Pandit Jewarlal Nehru Fatorda in South Goa from May 13.

The three-day event has been organised by Goa Baseball Association (GBA).

GBA president Ramakant Angle told reporters here today that Goa had taken initiative to revive the Federation Cup which was stopped after the fourth Federation Cup in 1990 held at Chandigardh in which Andhra Pradesh were winners and Karnataka were runners-up. Now, it would be revived almost after 16 years.

Mr Angle said participating teams in the men's events include Goa, Delhi, Orissa, Uttaranchal, Bihar, Karnataka, Madhaya Pradesh and Chandigarh, while Goa, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Chandigarh will participate in the women's events.

The women's matches will be played on league basis, while men's matches would be played on league-cum-knock out basis.

Goa team coach Dilip Naik, who was also present, expressed confidence that both men and women teams will win titles in the championship.

He said, ''Goa's team comprises eight international players in the men's team, while in the women's team there are four such players.'' Mr Angle said the land for construction of baseball stadium at Borim in South Goa had been sactioned and the processs of handing over the land would be completed soon.

American and Japanese Baseball Associations have come forward to finance the construction of Rs 5 crore worth of proposed baseball stadium, he added.

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