DUBAI: Pakistan took home the trophy at the first-ever Baseball United Arab Classic international baseball tournament, which concluded Sunday night after four straight days of gameplay.
Pakistan was dominant the entire tournament, outscoring its opponents by a total of 57 runs, including a 12-1 victory over the UAE in the championship game.
The tournament, in which nine nations from the Gulf Cooperation Council and subcontinent participated, featured 21 games played at the new Baseball United Ballpark at The Sevens in Dubai.
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 semifinals to advance to the championship.
The UAE finished the tournament with five wins and two losses, with both defeats coming to Pakistan.
“This was the largest and most competitive baseball tournament in the history of the region, and the Pakistan team showed they are not only one of Asia’s top teams, but they are on the path to compete with the best baseball-playing nations in the world,” Kash Shaikh, chairman, CEO and co-founder of Baseball United, said in a statement.
