Nine teams from the Middle East and South Asia to compete in four-day tournament, including
India vs Pakistan on Friday, November 8th
DUBAI, UAE (October 9, 2024) – Baseball United, the first-ever professional baseball league
focused on the Middle East and South Asia, announced the official schedule for the inaugural
Baseball United Arab Classic national team tournament taking place Thursday, November 7th to
Sunday, November 10th, at the new Baseball United Ballpark in Dubai. The new ballpark is
located within The Sevens sports and entertainment complex, just minutes from the city center.
The competition will include the official national baseball teams from India, Pakistan,
Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Palestine, Afghanistan, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, and the newly formed UAE
national baseball team. This is the largest tournament of its kind in the history of the region.
“Every nation competing in this event is now a part of history,” said Kash Shaikh, Chairman,
CEO, and Co-Founder, Baseball United. “This will be the largest, most diverse, and most
competitive national baseball team tournament this region has ever seen. The eyes of the world
will be on these teams. 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. I can’t wait
for the world to witness the progress these teams have made. And I hope to see fans in Dubai
of each of these communities come out to support their country with passion and pride.”
Games will run from early morning to late evening on each day of the tournament, with start
times ranging from 8am to 8pm GST. The first three days will be round-robin group play, with
playoffs for the top six teams on Sunday, November 10th. The championship game will begin at
8pm GST on the 10th.
The teams will be split into two groups. Group A will include India, Pakistan, Bangladesh,
Afghanistan, and the UAE. Group B will feature Saudi Arabia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Palestine.
The two group winners will automatically advance to the Semifinals, with the second and third
place teams in each group competing in an opening Quarterfinal round.
Group play tickets will be sold in Morning and Evening Sessions, with multiple games and
multiple nations competing in each session. Playoff tickets will be available in three sessions:
Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and Championship. Ticket prices range from 49 AED for Infield Box
seating for select Morning Sessions, to 499 AED for Diamond Club hospitality seating for the
Championship game. All tickets are available exclusively via Baseball United’s official ticketing
partner, Platinumlist. Seating is limited and early purchase is recommended.
India will take on Pakistan in primetime on Friday, November 8th, with the first pitch scheduled
for 8pm GST. Pakistan is currently the highest ranked South Asian country in the World
Baseball Softball Confederation rankings, moving up to #36 in the world earlier this year. India is
ranked #68. Both teams have highly touted pitching prospects that will compete in Baseball
United’s professional league next year.
Other key matchups include India vs the UAE in the Morning Session on Thursday, November
7th, followed by Sri Lanka vs Saudi Arabia, and Nepal vs Palestine in the Evening Session.
Palestine was the runner-up at last year’s West Asia Baseball Cup, and competed in the most
recent Asian Championships. They are ranked #45 in the world.
Palestine takes on Sri Lanka in the Evening Session on Friday, November 8th, just before the
match between India and Pakistan. On Saturday, November 8th, the host team from the UAE
will face Bangladesh in the Morning Session, followed by an evening session that includes
Palestine, India, Bangladesh, and Saudi Arabia.
Playoff teams and matchups will be announced at the conclusion of play on Saturday,
November 9th. However, fans can purchase tickets for Playoff Sessions now in order to
guarantee entry.
All games will be played at Baseball United Ballpark on a state-of-the-art synthetic playing
surface. Phase 1 of the ballpark’s construction will be complete, which will include professional
lighting, dugouts, practice areas, and the full playing field. Fan seating configurations will be
smaller for this event, with expanded seating added for Baseball United’s professional games
next year. Food and beverages will be available for purchase throughout the Ballpark, with
exclusive hospitality offerings, including free ballpark fare, for Diamond Club ticket holders.
“We accelerated the construction of our ballpark so that we could create this experience for
these national teams,” said Shaikh. “We have more work to do after the tournament to complete
all aspects of the build, but the field and general areas will be ready. That means that the first
pitch, the first catch, and the first hit in the history of our ballpark will now come from players
from this region. And that is truly special.”
About Baseball United
Baseball United is the first professional baseball league focused on the Middle East and the
Indian Subcontinent. Baseball United’s inaugural Showcase event in Dubai was broadcast in
127 countries, reaching 200 million households. Our mission is to inspire one billion new fans to
fall in love with baseball. Our ownership group includes award-winning entrepreneur, Kash
Shaikh, and 20 baseball legends, including Barry Larkin, Mariano Rivera, Adrián Beltré,
Robinson Chirinos, Felix Hernandez, Robinson Cano, Ryan Howard, and Ronald Acuña Jr. In
addition to our professional league, the Baseball United ecosystem spans youth development,
federation partnerships, media and content production, fan and athlete merchandise, and non-
profit outreach. With over 30 nationalities represented on our team rosters and a new suite of
innovative game changes, Baseball United is working to create a new future for baseball in one
of the fastest growing and most culturally diverse regions in the world.
