History of Indian Softball

In the year 1944 and 1945 some of the boys played Softball Game with AMERICAN ARMY stationed in Jodhpur during second world war . The Father of Indian soft ball Dr. Dashrath Mal Mehta was one of them ,later he and his friends started playing Softball regularly. Later they discovered that games similar to Softball were being played in India.

First time this game was started in Rajasthan and after that spread throughout the Country, Dr. Dashrath Mal Mehta formed SOFTBALL ASSOCIATION OF INDIA on 21st Nov 1961 under the noble guidance of Dr. L.M.Singhavi, Mr. Anand Singh Kachawa, Mr. Madanlal Pungalia, Mr. K.D. Gautam and valued support of their good friends. Still they had confusion in rules and they were in search of Softball Association in America and had some addresses to clarify the rules. In the year 1964 they came in contact with the softball lovers who formed INTERNATIONAL SOFTBALL FEDERATION for the promotion of the softball game headquartered in America. The International Softball Federation organized the first World Softball Championship (women) in Australia in 1965. the members of International Softball federation agreed to visit our country on way after world championship. The American team visited India at Calcutta in March, 1965 and played Softball Exhibition Game with Indian Team which proved boon for us to develop softball game in country and to publish our own Rules Book, Mr. W.W. Khetan, President Mr. Don A. Porter, Secretary and Mr. Dickston, Umpire in Chief, International Softball Federation were with the team who conducted the first Official clinic for Indian Umpires. They cleared the rules on Softball and system of umpiring on softball game. Persons with the Indian team attended that clinic and were successful. We cannot forget the kind patronage of Mr. P.D. Himmatsika who managed the event in Calcutta.

In 1965 the first rule book on softball game was published in country to promote softball game in different states and in the year 1967 first National softball championship for men and Women was organized at jodhpur, Teams from Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Maharashtra and Rajasthan  participated in this event.

In the year 1973 the Softball Association of India was recognized by All India Council of Sports. We did our best to promote softball game in country and send our teams to participate in the Asian Championships for men and women. We organized the coaching camp for coaches first time in Panaji (goa) to have batter coaches to prepare Indian team which was attended by 42 Trainees (men and Women), Mr. Le Min Kuan of China and Mr. Sanny Sultan of Singapore Imparted Coaching Camp. Mr. Abdul Aziz Bin Abu Talib Secretary General of ASA ASIA  visited and expressed that the camp was land mark keeping view of number of trainees and standard. We have also conducted Umpires and coaching clinic in 1997 at Indore ( M.P.), Mr Tommy Wang of Chinese Taipei and Mr. Sunny Sultan of Singapore trained our umpires and coaches.
Since the days of humble beginnings in Rajasthan the Softball as a game in India has become a name to reckon with and its popularity is increasing day by day.