Growing Baseball at the Highest Elevation on Earth

Bhutan Cultural Exchange, a US Non-profit based in NE Oregon, supports the growth and development of baseball in Bhutan. A successful outcome of this GoFundMe campaign will ensure the game grows and flourishes in the highest country on earth.

Thimphu, the capital city of Bhutan, is located at an elevation of 7,656’ above sea level. Nestled in the Eastern Himalayas between India and China and sharing a border with Tibet, the tiny Kingdom of Bhutan has remained sovereign since its founding due to the guidance of a benevolent Royal family and their pioneering Gross National Happiness policy. Bhutan occupies a landscape of steep mountains and valleys. Onto this extraordinary landscape baseball was introduced in 2013. News of the sport spread, youngsters started to play, clubs and leagues formed and coaches were trained. Bhutan Baseball and Softball Association (BBSA) was created and federation status was recognized by the World Baseball and Softball Confederation in 2022. On December 18, 2021, the first ever U15 League started its first game. The U15 championship game was played at the National Stadium in July, 2022. The sport is being played across the tiny land-locked nation. On Olympic Day 2022, citizens in villages voted baseball as ‘the sport with the most interest to develop.’ As the first sport to offer leagues for free to children, baseball has taken hold with a generation of youngsters whose love of the sport grows with each practice and every game.

Growing baseball in a remote country poses challenges. So we reach out to those who love baseball and youth development to learn our story, support our cause and stay glued to the set as we launch our first in a series of crowdfunding campaigns. Our goal is to bring baseball to Bhutan's far-flung communities in locations throughout the highest country in the world. For an idea of how challenging remote areas can be in Bhutan, especially when attempting to provide opportunities for young people, here is a trailer for Bhutan’s Academy Award-nominated film of 2022, A Yak in the Classroom.

The funds will be used for expenses to continue growing the sport in the country, including uniforms, equipment, transportation and related costs. Your donation will be used by Bhutan Baseball and Softball Association (BBSA) in 2023 to start U8 and U10 leagues in the villages located on this map.

Through a remarkable set of circumstances, Bhutan Baseball and Softball Association (BBSA) was notified in early 2022 by a professional coach from the United States that he was willing to volunteer in the country for two years. On June 17, 2022, Coach Marvin arrived in Bhutan in time for the Championship game.

Marvin Moore, Director of Baseball and International Coach for BBSA was a First Team All-District infielder at Seagoville High School. Later in his career, Marvin guided the Therwil Flyers to three Swiss National League Championships in four seasons before transforming the fifth-place Zurich Challengers into Swiss Champions in two years. He also led the Swiss National Baseball Team to a historic 4-2 upset victory over the 1994 European Baseball Championships at Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Marvin developed 21 national team players while coaching the Therwil Flyers BSC and Zurich Challengers BSC, and has coached baseball in the United States, Switzerland, Philippines, Brunei, and Bhutan.

Here’s the story about how baseball got started in Bhutan and an interview:

Watch the players preparing for the finals before the U15 championship: These youngsters are all in!

Bhutan baseball and Softball Association held their first ever U15 Bhutan Amateur Baseball League Championship game on Friday, July 8 at Changlimithang National Stadium. Taba Lower Secondary School defeated Denchencholing Higher Secondary School, 14-11 in an exciting final match-up.

Dechencholing HSS struck quickly with two scores in the opening frame and added a pair of runs in the third inning to grab an early 4-0 lead. However, Taba LSS plated five runs in the fifth to tie the game at 6-all and then went on to score eight home runs scores over the final innings to earn their comeback win.

Bhutan Affairs Chief Andrew Ou of The U.S. State Department threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the start of the game.

Watch some of the best video clips from the Championship.