On Monday, Baseball United, the first professional baseball league in the Middle East and South Asia, announced an agreement with the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) to establish the first-ever national baseball team in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
According to an article on the Baseball United website, the UAE national team will compete in November’s Baseball United Arab Classic, which will feature the national baseball teams from India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Nepal. Baseball United will develop and manage the UAE national team and implement a baseball program for the country in the Middle East under the agreement with the ECB, the governing body of cricket and other bat and ball sports in the UAE.
“I truly believe this milestone will be an inspiration to countless young players, coaches, and fans across the UAE,” Baseball United Co-Founder John Miedreich said in the announcement on the BU website. “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.”
The Baseball United Arab Classic will be held in Dubai at the new Baseball United Ballpark from November 7-10, 2024. The tournament will also be the first time a national baseball team from Saudi Arabia competes.
Who can Play for the UAE National Baseball Team?
Baseball United reports the UAE national team will follow the rules and regulations of the World Baseball Classic.
To be permitted to compete for a national team under the WBC’s eligibility rules and regulations, a player must be either a legal resident of the country/territory, born in the country/territory or be born to at least one parent who was either a resident or born in the country.
Upcoming Events for Baseball United
In addition to next month’s Baseball United Arab Classic, Baseball United recently revealed its plans for 2025.
The inaugural Baseball United Cup will be held from February 22 to March 1. It will feature the four existing BU franchises: the Mumbai Cobras, Karachi Monarchs, Arabia Wolves, and Mid East Falcons. The Baseball United Cup will be a round-robin tournament, with a champion crowned on March 1, 2025.
Up next, BU’s Season One of the first full-operating professional baseball league in the Middle East and South Asia will be held in Dubai from October 23 to November 23, 2025. Each of the five Baseball United franchises will play 12 regular-season games, and the two teams with the best records will face off in the United Series, a best-of-three championship round.
According to Baseball United’s website, the fifth Baseball United franchise, based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, will be introduced near the beginning of 2025.
