https://arab.news/byk4g
- Six countries including Pakistan, Palestine, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan will participate in the event
- The tournament had to include seven teams, but India squad couldn’t get clearance from government after getting visa
ISLAMABAD: The Palestinian baseball team arrived in Pakistan’s federal capital, Islamabad, on Wednesday to participate in the West Asia Baseball Cup, a six-nation event scheduled to be held at the Pakistan Sports Complex from January 27 through February 1.
Apart from the host nation, the tournament will be played among Palestine, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
The event has been organized by the Pakistan Federation Baseball in collaboration with Dubai-based Baseball United, the first-ever professional baseball league created to serve South Asia and the Middle East.
“The Palestinian baseball team arrived in Islamabad early in the morning, at 2am, while the Afghanistan team reached Pakistan and are scheduled to arrive in Islamabad at around 11am to 12pm tomorrow,” Syed Fakhar Ali Shah, president of the Pakistan Federation Baseball, told Arab News.
“The Bangladesh team has just arrived at the Lahore airport,” he continued. “We have received them and they are on their way to Islamabad, while the Nepal team reached Lahore at 2pm and is also on the way to the federal capital. Both teams are en route to Islamabad in separate buses.”
Shah added the tournament was originally planned to have seven teams, but the Indian squad could not get border clearance from their government after getting visas to Pakistan.
“As of now, only six teams will play because of India’s situation,” he said.
Earlier, Shah told the Associated Press of Pakistan news agency the event would be the 15th edition of the tournament.
“It will be the 15th edition of the Cup and will be played in a round-robin system,” he said.