2025: A Landmark Year of Growth, Partnership, and Pride for Bhutan Baseball & Softball Association
In 2025, the Bhutan Baseball & Softball Association (BBSA) celebrated a historic year of growth, partnership, and achievement. Fueled by the unwavering support of our community, coaches, and international partners, we reached record-breaking levels of youth engagement, launched impactful grassroots initiatives, and proudly represented Bhutan on international stages. From expanding school programs by 40% to seeing our athletes compete in global leagues and earn prestigious scholarships, this year has solidified our foundation and inspired a bold path forward for baseball and softball across the nation.
Message from the President
As we close the chapter on 2025, I am filled with immense pride and gratitude. This year stands as a testament to what we can achieve together, our dedicated coaches, passionate players, supportive parents, and generous partners. Your unwavering commitment has transformed our vision into a vibrant reality, bringing the joy of baseball, softball, and Baseball5 to more young Bhutanese than ever before. You have not only coached athletes but have mentored future leaders, building a legacy of teamwork, discipline, and excellence that extends far beyond the diamond. Thank you for making 2025 a historic year for our association.
Karma Dorji
President & Co-Founder, BBSA
A Year of Rise in Youth Engagement
2025 was defined by unprecedented growth at the grassroots level. The Bhutan Baseball & Softball Association celebrated a 40% increase in school partnerships and a 60% surge in youth participation, directly introducing our sports to hundreds of new athletes.
Our flagship initiative, the "Where Happiness Hits Home" Grassroots Program, marked our most ambitious outreach since BBSA’s founding, training over 500 students from 10 schools in Thimphu in its first week alone. By year’s end, we engaged 724 total players (437 boys, 287 girls), with 95% aged 6-18 years and 225 proud new athletes joining our family.
This momentum was sustained through our structured league system:
U12 League (Season 2): 10 teams, nearly 150 athletes.
U15 League (Season 4): 8 teams, over 120 athletes.
U18 League (Season 3): 7 schools, 105 athletes, welcoming two new competing schools.
Our Weekend Academy program identified and nurtured 155 new talents, building a robust pipeline for future national teams and ensuring sustainable growth for years to come.
Strategic Partnerships: Building Bridges for the Future
Our expansion was powerfully supported by a growing network of international, local, and institutional partners who believe in our mission.
This includes meaningful cross sport and cultural exchanges, such as our inspiring collaboration with the Bhutan Cultural Exchange and a memorable U18 youth exchange with Yale University students facilitated by MyBhutan, which highlighted sport’s power to connect cultures and forge international friendships.
We extend our deepest gratitude to Dechencholing Higher Secondary School and its Principal for their unwavering and continuous support. Their generous provision of school facilities has been foundational to the success of countless BBSA development programs, camps, and events throughout 2025.
We are also profoundly thankful for the generous equipment donation from the Japan Rubber Baseball Association, facilitated by JICA Bhutan, the Embassy of Japan in India, and the Bhutan Olympic Committee (BOC), which arrived during the meaningful Japan Week celebrations.
The year also saw strengthened ties with professional baseball, including a promising new relationship with Mr. Bob Fregolle, Jr., co-owner of the Cincinnati Reds’ Single-A affiliate, and the continued, heartfelt support from Mr. Ben Wright and his family. Longstanding ally Mr. Satoshi Yamana of GHN Travel & Service also provided crucial equipment, underscoring the global goodwill powering our programs.
Nurturing Excellence: From Local Pitches to International Stages
Our development programs produced tangible, inspiring outcomes. The National Youth Development Camp, led by St. Louis Cardinals affiliate coach Paul Andres Benoit-Diaz, elevated the skills of our youth and coaches.
Further fostering talent across seasons, our Summer Camp 2025 engaged over 95 participants from multiple districts, successfully introducing the fast-paced Baseball5 format and reinforcing our nationwide reach. This momentum continued into the year’s end with the 2025 Winter Camp, which brought together 45 athletes, including participants from eastern Bhutan to hone foundational skills and strengthen community ties.
This consistent, year round pathway enabled historic individual achievements:
Thinley Jamtsho (U18) became the first Bhutanese to compete in the MLB China Development Center Summer League.
A U23 player earned a prestigious BOC-RTC Scholarship, following in the footsteps of our own Coach Bishnu, who also received the scholarship this year, highlighting our investment in local leadership.
A Holistic Approach: Safeguarding Our Community
BBSA committed to the complete well-being of our athletes. We conducted essential programs on Anti-Doping and Athlete Safeguarding, and hosted a landmark seminar on Safe Sports and Gender Equity in collaboration with national bodies. Our athletes also participated in the National Athletes’ Forum, ensuring their voices contribute to the national sports dialogue.
Unified in Vision and Service
We proudly participated in the BOC General Assembly and made history by attending the 6th WBSC Congress for the first time, integrating Bhutan into the global baseball community. In a profound act of national service, BBSA also joined the Gelephu Mindfulness City volunteer initiative, uniting with the national sports family to fulfill His Majesty’s vision.
Our Gratitude
This remarkable year would not have been possible without our dedicated team, supportive schools, especially Dechencholing HSS and the Royal Bodyguard for their facilities, and our invaluable partners:
WBSC, BOC, BFA, Softball Asia, Mr.Bob Fegolle and Family , Mr. Ben and Family, MyBhutan, Expert Education Bhutan, Bhutan Cultural Exchange , Diego Travel, and the Bhutan Foundation.
Together, we are not just playing games; we are building character, community, and a lasting legacy for Bhutan. Here’s to carrying the momentum, passion, and success of 2025 into an even brighter future.
