A new chapter in international baseball has begun. As the sport grows worldwide, the Middle East and South Asia have joined professional baseball with a league called Baseball United. The inaugural Baseball United Arab Classic national team tournament will begin on Thursday, November 7, and run until Sunday, November 10, at the newly built Baseball United Ballpark in Dubai. It is the largest tournament of its kind, playing at the first professional baseball field in the region’s history.
The countries competing with their national teams include Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Palestine, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Nepal, and the United Arab Emirates. Each of these teams will be split into two groups. Group A will consist of Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and the United Arab Emirates, while Group B will include Saudi Arabia, Nepal, Palestine, and Sri Lanka. The top winners of each group will move on to the semifinal stage, while the second and third teams in each group will face off in the quarterfinal.
At the introductory press conference, Baseball United’s Chairman and CEO, Kash Shaikh, was joined by some Major League Baseball legends, including Adrian Beltre, Mariano Rivera, Barry Larkin, and Elvis Andrus. In a statement made at the press conference, Shaikh said, “Every nation competing in this event is now a part of history. This will be the largest, most diverse, and most competitive national baseball team tournament this region has ever seen…We created the Arab Classic to give these nations, their federations, and their players and coaches a global stage to showcase their talent, skills, and heart.”
The tournament will run from 8 a.m. GST to 8 p.m. GST each day, with the first three games played in the Round Robin stage. Playoffs begin Sunday, November 10, and the championship game will be held that same night at 8 p.m. GST.
Get all your information and news about Baseball United at worldbaseball.com.
You can watch the Arab Classic on baseballunited.com.
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