Dubai (Aletihad)
A near-perfect script to mark the birth of baseball as a sport in the UAE got written over the weekend when Pakistan beat UAE to claim the inaugural Arab Classic Championship at a specially constructed venue at The Sevens premises on the Dubai-Al Ain Road.
Organised by Baseball United with the blessings of Emirates Cricket Board (ECB), a Ballpark emerged out of nothing in a span of two months from conception to completion with temporary and semi-permanent seating and facilities. It took 38 days to be constructed.
In exactly a month's time, the UAE national baseball team was also formed from scratch since getting official sanctions from the ECB, and they went all the way up to the final where they lost to Pakistan.
In all, nine nations from the Gulf and subcontinent regions came together for the Arab Classic tournament where 21 games were played in front of thousands of fans and streamed to a global audience.
Pakistan took home the trophy after four days of non-stop action, outscoring its opponents by a total of 57 runs, including a 12-1 victory over the UAE in the championship game.
The UAE, playing in its first international baseball tournament in the nation’s history, was a surprise finalist, beating Saudi Arabia in the quarterfinals and then topping a highly-ranked Palestine team in the semi-finals. The UAE finished the tournament with five wins and two losses, with both losses coming to the undefeated champion side.
The UAE has got help from Baseball United, who have experience of working in the region for the past two years and conducting a tournament called Baseball United Cup. The second edition of the tournament is slated for February-March dates next year.
“Congratulations to the UAE on making history yet again,” said Shaikh. “This nation is already known for great sports and entertainment. And now, with our new Ballpark already attracting the eyes of the world, and with the UAE team performing so well, the UAE and Dubai have propelled to the forefront of the global conversation about baseball.
"This is significant. Baseball is one of the world’s top sports and now the UAE has a direct connection with hundreds of millions of baseball fans around the world. And I am very grateful to Dubai Sports Council, the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, and Emirates Cricket Board for their support. Exciting times for Dubai and the UAE as the world watches us play ball.”
Baseball is a top five sport globally, with 600 million fans, only behind football, cricket, tennis, and basketball. In the US, professional baseball generates nearly $15 billion in yearly revenue. Baseball is also set to appear in the next Olympics, hosted in Los Angeles in 2028.
Baseball United was founded in November 2022 by Shaikh, John Miedreich, and Major League Baseball Hall of Famers, Barry Larkin and Mariano Rivera. In total, 20 MLB legends have invested in the league, including Adrian Beltre, Albert Pujols, Elvis Andrus, Felix Hernandez, Ryan Howard, Robinson Cano, and Robinson Chirinos.
“We did a lot of work in a short time to prove to the world what’s possible with baseball in this part of the world,” said Shaikh. “I have always believed that baseball will be this region’s next great sport. People weren’t so sure about that when we started this journey. But a lot of people believe it now.”