Kuumar Shyam (Aletihad)
The best way to describe baseball to a subcontinent audience and cricket to an American or even Japanese audience is that they are similar cousins in the world of sport. Although, the only thing similar is that the two aspects of scoring involves a bat and ball.
Yet, in a unique development plan, the UAE is moving to get its own national baseball team, with blessings from the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) and its chief patron, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence.
Baseball United (BU), the first professional baseball league focused on the Middle East and South Asia, has announced a plan to form and develop the UAE national team, using its existing fledgling activities to introduce baseball to the country to set up the base.
Baseball United received official sanctions from the Emirates Cricket Board to manage the team and institute a corresponding development programme for baseball in the nation. The ECB is the governing body for bat and ball sports activities in the UAE.
The new team will compete in international baseball events, beginning with Baseball United’s inaugural Arab Classic tournament which will take place next month from November 7-10 at a new ballpark, which is racing towards being erected on the premises of The Sevens on the Dubai-Al Ain Road.
BU stakeholders presented the plan for the team and programme to ECB as part of its grassroots and community development strategy. The new sanctions tout Baseball United’s professional knowledge, expertise, and pedigree as a respected international organisation, and enable BU to oversee player selection, player development, and the team’s participation in baseball competitions worldwide.
“Thanks to the vision of His Highness Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, chairman of the ECB, and the ongoing support of vice chairman, Khalid Al Zarooni and general secretary Mubashshir Usmani, we’ve been able to reach another significant milestone for baseball in this region,” said BU chairman and co-founder Kash Shaikh at a conference.
“While our professional league aims to create the gold standard for baseball across the Middle East and South Asia, we believe the most powerful way to grow the game is through the development and enhancement of national team programmes in this part of the world. We’ve supported several country’s national teams over the past three years, including India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Nepal, and now we are very grateful to build a new programme here in our UAE headquarters.”
The new team will now compete with Pakistan, India, Saudi Arabia and five other regional nations at the BU Arab Classic. Saudi Arabia and the UAE will field national baseball teams for the first time. The tournament will be the largest national baseball team tournament in the history of the region, with all games played at The Sevens complex.
The national baseball team will come under World Baseball Classic (WBC) eligibility rules and regulations, which will enable broader representation and participation for local residents. In addition to country citizens, the rules allow for permanent legal residents and/or players born in the UAE to participate in its international events. Any player with at least one parent as an Emirati passport is also eligible to play.
The UAE has a population of 11 million people, 90% of which are immigrants. In addition, the UAE has one of the most diverse populations in the world with more than 200 nationalities living in the nation. According to global research firm, YouGov, there are approximately 800,000 baseball fans in the UAE.
“I truly believe this milestone will be an inspiration to countless young players, coaches, and fans across the UAE. We are excited to implement our baseball training curriculums and professional protocol, and get to work in developing the most competitive team possible. I have no doubt that the UAE team will make their country proud,” Shaikh said.