History of Pesäpallo
From its invention in Finland to its growth in India — the remarkable journey of Pesäpallo.
Key Founders & Leadership
The visionaries behind the game and its journey to India.
Lauri "Tahko" Pihkala
Inventor of Pesäpallo
Lauri "Tahko" Pihkala was the inventor of Pesäpallo, the Finnish variant of baseball. An Olympic athlete (1908 & 1912) and Finland's first professional athletics coach, he developed the game in the 1920s. In 1969 he received one of the first honorary doctorates in Sport Sciences from the University of Jyväskylä.
- • Invented Pesäpallo – Finland's national sport
- • Olympic athlete (1908, 1912)
- • Finland's first professional athletics coach
- • Honorary doctorate in Sport Sciences (1969)
- • Memorial sculpture at Helsinki Olympic Stadium (1988)
Chetan Pagawad
Founder & General Secretary – Pesäpallo Federation of India
The first person to bring Pesäpallo to India, Chetan Pagawad discovered the game from Finland and began teaching young players in Maharashtra in 2007. A Textile Engineer with Master's degrees in Marketing and Physical Education, he founded the Pesäpallo Federation of India in 2010 and led India's first World Cup participation in 2017.
- • First person to introduce Pesäpallo in India (2007)
- • Founded Pesäpallo Federation of India (2010)
- • Led India's first National SGFI orientation program (May 2017, SAI Centre, Durg, Chhattisgarh)
- • First Finnish-qualified professional Pesäpallo coach in India (2017)
- • Led India's first World Cup participation – Women's Bronze, Turku 2017
Sachin Nevrekar
President – Pesäpallo Federation of India
Current President of Pesäpallo Federation of India, leading the organization in its mission to develop and promote Pesäpallo across the country.
- • President of Pesäpallo Federation of India
- • Supporting national and international championships
- • Promoting Pesäpallo at grassroots level
- • Building partnerships with state associations
- • Advancing Pesäpallo development programs
International Friends & Contributors
The Finnish mentors, coaches, referees and journalists who helped nurture Pesäpallo in India.
Mr. Jussi Pyysalo
CEO – Superpesis & International Pesäpallo Community
Often called the "Father of Pesäpallo Federation of India". He first contacted Chetan Pagawad in 2015 and visited India's National Championships in 2016 (Trivandrum, Kerala) and 2017 (Telangana), championing the sport's growth in India.
Mr. Juha Antikainen
Chief Coach – International Pesäpallo Community
Visited India alongside Mr. Jussi for the 2016 and 2017 National Championships. He continues to coach and share game techniques with Indian coaches and players.
Mr. Antti Haapasalo
Sports Journalist – Finland
A skilled Superpesis player and reporter who visited the 2016 National Championship in Trivandrum. He was the first to publish India's Pesäpallo activities in Finland and across the world.
Mr. Tapani Linna
Sports Journalist – Finland
An accomplished Pesäpallo player and reporter who visited the 9th Senior & Junior Championship in Telangana, India (November 2017).
Ms. Anna Hakala
Chief Referee – International Pesäpallo Community
A leading Superpesis referee who travelled to India in November 2017 to train Indian referees, helping establish a solid foundation for the growth of Pesäpallo in India.
"It is important that all players around the world play with the same rules, as it helps keep the Pesäpallo community unified, and teams all over the world can play with each other. When India participated in the World Cup in Finland, the players were already really good at throwing, batting and running — once the more complicated rules were explained, they understood them right away. This was a crucial part of the glorious victory for the Indian National Team against Switzerland."
"Our trip to India was very pleasant — the Pesäpallo community warmly welcomed us and the organizers did a great job. Overall, I really enjoyed my trip to India, as I saw how motivated and talented the players, referees and organizers were! I wish you all the best in making Pesäpallo a mainstream sport in India."
Watch & Learn Pesäpallo
Get to know the game — how Pesäpallo is played and how teams train.
Rules Explained
Understand how Pesäpallo is played.
Training Video
See how players train for the game.