WILLEMSTAD – Curaçao’s Junior and Senior teams, formed under the Curaçao Prospect League, won the series of games played against teams from the Metro Leadership Sports Academy of Atlanta, Georgia. The games were held last weekend at Tio Daou Ballpark and attracted strong attendance from the local public.
The visit was organized by the Curaçao Baseball Development Foundation in collaboration with the Curaçao Tourist Board as part of an international cultural and sports exchange initiative.
This marked the second time the Atlanta-based organization visited Curaçao to play baseball games and to introduce its youth players to the island’s culture. For most of the visiting players, this was their first trip outside their home country. Both Atlanta teams were also reinforced by several players and coaches from One League Aruba – RBI.
On the opening day of competition, players from Atlanta, Aruba, and Curaçao took part in a special visit by former Atlanta Braves shortstop Andrelton Simmons. Simmons spoke about his experience in Major League Baseball and emphasized the dedication required to achieve personal goals in both sports and life. He also symbolically opened the tournament by throwing out the ceremonial first pitch.
Curaçao’s Junior team won its opening game 6–3, while the Senior team secured a narrow 4–3 victory on Saturday. On the second day of competition, the Junior team recorded a 10–3 win, while the Senior team suffered an 8–1 loss. During that game, Curaçao’s Jay-Dlynn Wiel hit an impressive home run to left field.
In the doubleheader that followed, the Junior team won convincingly with an 11–3 score, and the Senior team mounted a comeback to win another close contest, 3–2. With those results, Curaçao secured overall victory in the series against the Atlanta teams.
The Atlanta delegation expressed enthusiasm about their stay on the island and had the opportunity to experience Curaçao’s culture and people through the exchange. The Curaçao Tourist Board played a key role in the project, arranging activities such as a city tour on a paranda bus and a visit to Curaçao’s crystal-clear waters before the group returned to Atlanta.
The Curaçao Baseball Development Foundation expressed its appreciation to the Curaçao Tourist Board, FEBEKO, and the Curaçao Prospect League for their collaboration in making the exchange a success.
