WILLEMSTAD - Corendon will sponsor the baseball club Santa Maria Pirates for one year. The popular baseball organization in Curaçao was founded on March 3, 1963, by Frank Curiel and neighborhood friends such as Aquiles Boelijn, Robert Lebacks, and Wilbert Petronelia, all from the Santa Maria neighborhood. Corendon has a deep appreciation for sports in Curaçao and aims to show its commitment through this sponsorship.
The Santa Maria Pirates have a rich history full of successes. Children as young as 4 years old can join the baseball team to learn the skills of the game. The Santa Maria Pirates also have a popular veterans' team. All players hail from Santa Maria or nearby areas like De Savaan, Moonchi, Mahuma, Buena Vista, Heintje Kool, Kanga, and Dein. The Santa Maria Pirates have their own field in the Heintje Kool neighborhood, established in 1990.
Over the past 30 years, the Santa Maria Pirates have qualified for the playoffs of the Federashon di Beisbol di Kòrsou (FESEBAKO) 30 times. Many 'big leaguers' started their careers or played with the Santa Maria Pirates, including Randall Simon, Jonathan Schoop, Shairon Martis, and Mariekson Gregorius.
The manager of the Santa Maria Pirates in the AA-class is Sorick Liberia. Gustavito de Jong leads the A-class, Ericson Irausquin leads the youth team, and Vernon Isabella leads the veterans' team. Kenneth Gijsbertha is the chairman and has successfully held this role for the past 31 years.
Photo: Kenneth Gijsbertha (chairman) and Atilay Uslu (Corendon) are shown during the official presentation of the new uniforms this morning on the patio of TravelAgency Corendon on Scharlooweg. They are flanked by Biray Ögüt (regional director Corendon) and players D'mani Martinus, Farid Cijntje, and on the far right, Sharlon Schoop.