American Magazine: November 2016

globetrotting
DURING HIS PLAYING DAYS,
GURMAT SAHNI DIDN’T HAVE A
MILLION-DOLLAR ARM, and
though he was a solid contact hitter,
he lacked power. But he always
possessed the one quality common
to the grittiest baseball players from
around the world: a love for the game.
It’s this passion that prompted
Sahni, SIS/MA ’17, to start Grand Slam
Baseball, a business focused on
growing America’s pastime in his
native India. With youth programs in
10 schools in New Delhi, construction
of a 1,500-seat field of dreams in the
center of the city scheduled for
completion soon, and plans for a
modest professional league and
more academies throughout the
country, the organization is thriving.
About 1,000 kids are enrolled in Grand
Slam programs—a 400 percent jump
in the four years since it started.
Sahni, 25, started playing the
“obscure” sport—it’s far overshadowed
by cricket, soccer, and even basketball
in India—at the age of 8. He was
introduced to it by an American
neighbor who competed in a little
league sponsored by the US Embassy.
“Every Indian kid is influenced by
Western culture,” Sahni says. “Playing
baseball was my unique way of saying,
‘Hey, I’m cool.’”
With Major League contests starting
at 4 a.m. in New Delhi, he didn’t get to
catch a whole lot of Yankees games
(he’s wearing a New York hat in the
photo), but like every little slugger, he
dreamt of a career in the big leagues.
Those hopes were dashed one fastball
at a time when he visited an academy
in Florida run by the Colorado Rockies
hitting coach. There, he realized the
caliber of competition he had faced
growing up was nothing compared to
the commitment of time and effort
Americans put into the sport.
Now, he’s determined to change
that. When he and his partner founded
Grand Slam in 2012, they took over
management of the embassy’s little
league. He’s been focused on acquiring
top equipment, training coaches, and
improving infrastructure so the
sport can grow in popularity.
“We’re not going to reach a
billion people, but I do think in
the next five years we’ll be in all
the major cities in India,” he
says. “My main goal is to have
a national network of youth
leagues, a small pro league, and
at least a few players playing
internationally.”
Powerful plans from a lighthitting
first baseman.
“For me baseball brings back all
the happy memories associated
with my childhood and the
valuable lessons that I learned
from my teammates and coaches.
Every day at Grand Slam, I can put
myself in the shoes of my players
and see how my work is shaping
their lives.”
14 AMERICAN MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2016