Singaporean 'city boy' quits job to play pro baseball in Japanese onsen town

SINGAPORE: In a small Japanese town known for its hot springs, life is simple for Eleazar Ng.

The Singaporean wakes up at 6am, cleans the house, prepares his meals and troops onto a team bus.

After a typical day on the practice field, the 23-year-old returns to his two-storey home shared with Indonesian and Sri Lankan teammates.

The evening is spent washing uniforms and having dinner before drifting off to sleep on futons.

This is the daily routine of a professional baseball player for the Saga Indonesia Dreams team in sleepy Ureshino on Kyushu island.

It is far from glamourous, but it is what Ng has signed up for.

PLAYING AT A "HIGHER LEVEL"

The captain and pitcher of Singapore's national baseball team, Ng started off playing softball in primary school before making the switch in his late teens. 

It was at a tournament in Hong Kong last year when Ng first heard about an opportunity to play for Saga Indonesia Dreams from Uchida Hideyuki, a former head coach of the Singapore team. 

Saga Indonesia Dreams is operated by the Neo Asia Japan organisation, which aims to develop baseball in the region.

The team currently play in the independent Kyushu Asia League, which is among several different types of leagues plying their trade below Japan's highest-tier Nippon Professional Baseball league. 

"As an athlete, obviously you want to play at a higher level," said Ng.

"At the same time, when you think about playing overseas and taking a pause in your career path in Singapore and moving away from chasing the Singaporean dream, is that really feasible? Is that realistic?"

For Ng, a regular in the Republic of Singapore Air Force at the time, there were also financial considerations such as the need to save up for university studies.

But a turning point came months later after an East Asian Cup where Ng was awarded “Pitcher with Best Earned Run Average”.

At the tournament, Singapore also notched a stunning 10-0 win over Thailand, who were silver medalists at the 2019 SEA Games.

Ng also spoke with a Filipino player who said he would be joining Saga Indonesia Dreams, and his interest was reignited.

"I started to get a little bit excited and I started to consider it again," he recalled. "Without thinking too much, I just told my coach I'm interested ... and asked if the opportunity was still available."

At the time, however, Ng had also successfully balloted for a new Build-To-Order housing flat.

"When I wanted to go (previously), the finances were okay. But after I had to move house, finances were a bit tighter and my savings depleted," he said.

What was encouraging to Ng was the support from those around him, including those in his air force unit as well as his girlfriend.

"Everyone told me: 'Just go for it, don't look back'," he recalled. "That sort of gave me the assurance and I felt confident of my choice.

"They were all saying how proud they would be of me," he said.

And so Ng took a leap of faith and a pay cut of more than 70 per cent, signing a season-long contract in March.

RIVALS TURNED "BESTIES"

While Ng arrived in an unfamiliar environment, there were familiar faces.

Some of his current teammates were part of the Indonesia team which he played against at the last SEA Games. They beat Singapore 10-4 to finish with the bronze medal.

"During the first two weeks, we were talking about that game every single day," Ng laughed.

The rivalry was "so strong" back then but the newly-minted Singaporean and Indonesian teammates are now "besties", he said.

Some back home were worried Ng might have trouble fitting in with teammates from different nationalities, but the Singaporean hasn't had much trouble on that front.

It also helped that he's not the first baseball player from his country going down this path.

Teammate Kohei Wong was the first Singaporean to join a professional baseball team, signing a training contract with Ibaraki Astro Planets last year. The team competes in another independent league, the Baseball Challenge League.

"He told me not too worry too much, that he has friends from other leagues who have played in the same league as I am," said Ng.

"We talked about it and he said that it will definitely be tough but everyone in Singapore will be supporting me."

Still, it can be lonely in the countryside, admitted Ng, who was called "city boy" by his ex-coach.

"My teammates know that it will be a struggle for me, because I'm alone here and there's no signs of familiarity, no familiar faces, no common language," he said.

"They have been trying to support me, and accommodate me, by inviting me to go eat (with them)."

INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION

Ng's time in Japan has not been without ups and downs. For one, the Singaporean had been in a bit of a "slump" since the Asian Games in Hangzhou late last year.

"When I came here, I wasn't really that confident in myself because I wasn't able to perform like how I was before. I was trying to get back on my feet," Ng explained.

"Naturally, I wasn't the starting pitcher because I wasn't performing up to their expectations. But they told me they trust me and they know I have potential.

"Under their guidance, I am slowly gaining back that confidence and I'm able to perform better," he said.

"I want to be the ace pitcher of the team ... I know it will be tough but I know that it is definitely doable if I keep pushing and be more open-minded and proactive to want to learn."

While Saga Indonesia Dreams suffered a 17-0 defeat in its opening match, there were positive takeaways, said the Singaporean.

"The Japanese level of baseball is very high," Ng said. "But we didn't know where they (other teams) stood (before the season). We didn't have a sensing because we didn't see them train or play."

He believes the team is growing in experience and getting used to the new environment, as evidenced by the next two games where they stretched opponents but lost narrowly.

"The second game, we went in a lot stronger and we actually were in the lead," he recalled. "It was really very close ... everybody fought as hard as though that was a medal game. It was really exciting."

The team will help provide some of its players a stepping stone to progress to the bigger leagues. But Ng's goals are different and a bit more selfless: He wants to show others in Singapore that they can dream big.

"When I talked to my seniors, they were saying how it would be a good opportunity for the baseball scene in Singapore. Being able to step out there and let people know there is baseball in Singapore and try to inspire the younger ones to follow this path that I've taken," he said.

As he presses on, the Singaporean stands by his choice to swap one island for another. 

"I do question myself at times why I'm here because I just miss home," he added.

"(But) being able to play the sport you love, play every day without having to worry about anything and having a good management team to support me both in Japan and Singapore, that's more than I can ask for ... I do not regret my decision."