Reality game show The Million Dollar Arm is in its second season looking for India's best baseball contenders. It may not be a familiar sport, but with a cash prize of Rs 5 crore and the chance to train with an American league, it's got all the gully's best batsmen saying, Aila!
Reality game show The Million Dollar Arm is in its second season looking for India's best baseball contenders. It may not be a familiar sport, but with a cash prize of Rs 5 crore and the chance to train with an American league, it's got all the gully's best batsmen saying, Aila!
Three years ago, Rinku Singh of Bhadoni village in Uttar Pradesh was trying hard to make ends meet and support his family. Little did he know that with a swing of his arm and the flick of his wrist, he could be a million dollars richer, build the reputation of an international sports icon and play with an American Major League baseball club, the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Rinku Singh, Winner, of The Million Dollar Arm, Season 1
Winner of the first season of reality show, The Million Dollar arm in 2008, the 22 year-old was selected from 37,000 participants across India. It seems season two winner Gaurav Nehra has rather large mitts to fill. The 20 year-old from Ghaziabad, UP, is a javelin throw athlete with a Rs 5 crore arm. Hundred and twenty five days of tryouts, 62 cities and many dangerously fast flying balls later, Nehra hit the jackpot thanks to his power-packed pitching at 85 miles per hour. He is now headed for a six-month baseball bootcamp and a chance to play professionally.u00a0
So, why would a predominantly American sport search for players in a cricket-obsessed country? Vivek Daglur, Vice President, Turn On explains, "It's not about the game. It's about creating opportunities and making dreams come true. What Rinku Singh did is a fairytale because he is the first Indian to make it to professional baseball, and it made front page in Pittsburgh. You don't need to know the sport. We are looking for a good pitchers arm and after that we can provide training that will guide them. Besides, it's a lot like cricket."
There are 30 teams in major league baseball in the US, and the season lasts from April to October. Daglur admits that the reality competition received generous attention from small towns in India. "A lot of people in small towns hope to use their talent in sports to get a job. Our last two winners have come from a background in javelin throw, and that provides a fine base."u00a0
The origins of baseball go back to 1344, and France and Great Britain have laid claim on starting the game. The British trace the sport back to a bat and ball activity called tut-ball from which cricket also evolved.
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