Football? Dominicans mad about baseball

There are four major baseball stadiums in the Dominican Republic, namely, the 25,000-capacity Puerto Baní Stadium, Estadio Cibao with a capacity of 18,077 , Estadio Julián Javier that can carry 12,000 people and 8,000-seater Estadio Tetelo Vargas.

The sports pages of the local papers like the large circulating El Dia – The Day, is saturated with baseball stories. One cannot fail to also notice many billboard advertising baseball and basketball merchandise on the city streets.

Sports shops in Santo Domingo have plenty of baseball and basketball stuff. This writer was yet to come across a shop selling football, read English Premier League, jerseys, as is so popular in Kenya and East Africa.

Why is baseball popular in the Dominican Republic?

During the 1870s, many Cuban citizens fled Cuba because of the 10-year war, many relocated to the Dominican Republic bringing with them the sport of baseball.

The Dominican top baseball league consists of six teams, namely, 24-time champions Tigres del Licey, Estrellas Orientales, Leones del Escogido, Águilas Cibaeñas, Toros del Este and Gigantes del Cibao.

According to Anna Vincente, a sales manager at El Molino Deportivo, a sports house in Domingo, the basketball and baseball equipment are the most sold items in their business. 

"Baseball and basketball are the two sports with the richest history in our country, due to the influence of the United States. Football has just begun as we don’t know much about it," Vincente told Nation Sport.

Dominican won the World Baseball Classic (WBC) championship title in 2013, becoming the first team ever to go through the tournament undefeated. They also won the Baseball World Cup in 1948.

The country also hosts a professional baseball winter league called the Dominican Republic Professional Baseball League featuring six teams.

The Dominican Republic has the second highest number of players in Major Baseball League in America, after the United States. Basketball is also hugely popular.

Liga Nacional de Baloncesto is the top men's and women's professional basketball league in the Dominican Republic. Formed in 2005, and consists of six teams, it has never lacked talent.

It is not hard to understand why. If you took a stroll to the Felix Sanchez Olympic Stadium in Santo Domingo you will not fail to notice numerous basketball courts busy with activities. This writer counted 10 courts teeming with youngsters no doubt dreaming of making it big in the game.

Emmerson, 23, who players for a local basketball team said: "I play basketball because that is my life; I spend most of my time in training.

Often, I get on the wrong side of mom for coming late because I am training, but it's because I love it. Most of my friends also play basketball."

It could thus be understandable to see empty stadiums at the Fifa Under-17 Women’s World Cup. Many Dominicans have not shown much interest in the global football tournament that they are hosting.

Said Vincente: “As I grew up, we never witnessed women play football in our country for the past 20 years. However, since the World Cup has been brought here there is going to be an improvement in the game since women are also now involved in the game.”

"For the past two or three years, football has gained popularity but is perceived to be a sport for the wealthy, whereas basketball and baseball have representatives from all walks of life. I didn't even know the World Cup is in our country. That's news to me," said Aldrian Ivar, a basketball enthusiast who was just training 50 metres away from the main stadium hosting the World Cup.

For his information, the Dominican Republic, making their debut in the World Cup, were knocked out in the group stages. They lost 2-0 to Ecuador, 1-0 to Nigeria and pulled off a 1-1 draw against New Zealand.

If any encouragement for Dominican Republic football, the match between the hosts and Nigeria at Felix Sanchez drew a crowd of 13,535, the highest recorded for a football game in the country.

The final will be held on Sunday at the Estadio Felix Sanchez.