LIMA — A Japanese-Peruvian man is the first person from baseball to have his name engraved on the outer wall of the national stadium in Peru, where soccer is the national pastime, for his contribution to developing the game in the country.
Gerardo Maruy, president of the country's baseball federation, is a nisei, or second-generation Peruvian born to immigrant parents from Japan.
"I'm honored," said the 79-year-old, who spells his family name "Maruy" instead of "Marui," adding, "I haven't set any world records."
He received the Laureles deportivos, or Sport laurel, this year, which marks the 110th anniversary of the arrival of Japanese immigrants in Peru.
Maruy has been associated with baseball for as long as he can remember. He first picked up a ball and bat under the influence of his father and older brother, who were both fans of the sport.
Maruy played first base and batted second in the lineup for Peru's national team that took part in the South American amateur baseball championship in Brazil in 1957 and remained active until the 1965 championship in Peru. He subsequently became president of the baseball federation after completing a stint as head of the Education Ministry's sports agency.
The number of people who play baseball in Peru is estimated at around 3,000.
