UAE polishes young diamonds for baseball's Little League World Series

An eclectic bunch of boys have trained hard as they head to Manila as a first step to the world stage, writes Paul Radley.

Hayden Davidson pitches from the mound during a practice session. A team of 13 players are being coached by Joe Page, below right, as they get ready to slug it out in the Philippines for qualificationShow more

With temperatures hovering around 40°C and a barely noticeable breeze coming off the neighbouring man-made lake, a UAE all-star baseball team go through their final preparation for their biggest tournament yet.

The team's coach takes a break from calling out seemingly elaborate numeric codes – relating to a variety of defensive plays – and orders his players to undertake two laps of the ballpark. One of them is left at home plate looking sullen.

Apparently, it was he who had inflicted the punishment on his teammates, as he had accompanied a bad pitch with a sour face.

Pouting is costly in this environment.

Note: the punitive measure is not taken because of bad performance but because of a bad attitude.

Surliness will not be tolerated on this team.

The mantra for the success is plain. "Our goals are very simple," said Joe Page, the coach of the team.

"In every game we play we will not be out-hustled, we will not be outfought and the other team will not want to win more than we do."

This is serious business. It is the second training session the side have undertaken in the day.

Many professional sporting entities in this country would be shown up by the commitment these players are showing.

Which seems amazing, given that they are all between 11 and 13 years of age. They are the UAE's representatives bound this weekend for Manila, the first stop of a journey they hope will end up with a prime slot on ESPN's coverage of the Little League World Series in the United States.

"It's not like it's on ESPN 7 - it's on ESPN 1 and 2," said Greg Davidson, the Al Ain-based assistant coach of the UAE side. "These kids are fired up."

From Sunday until July 8, teams from 12 Asian and Middle Eastern countries will compete in the Philippines to determine the regional winner.

The successful nation will advance to the championships in Williamsport, Pennsylvania – the dream of any self-respecting junior baseball player.

"If we win [in the Philippines] we get to go to the World Series and we would really love to do that," said Helmi Yatim, 12, a pitcher who also plays first base and right field. "Our goal has always been to do that."

With a self-contained quad of baseball diamonds on a plot neighbouring the neatly manicured Al Quoz Park, and with the Burj Khalifa in plain view, the Little Leaguers have an enviable home venue.

It is fair to say the quality of the facility slightly exceeds their place in the food chain of UAE sport.

The next sporting landmark along the road from their home field, for example, is Meydan Racecourse, where on average 60,000 people attend the annual Dubai World Cup.

By contrast a mere 475 players, between the ages of five and 17, regularly partake in Little League baseball.

"Baseball in the Middle East is not one of the top-ranked sports, but it is steadily growing, and this year we have had unparalleled success in international competition," Davidson said.

The UAE team this year has defeated Saudi Arabia, formerly the most powerful team in the region, 14 times without defeat.

"To say we are excited about this opportunity is an understatement," Davidson said.

Each of the six teams who play Little League at this age level have at least one representative in the "all-star" side heading to the Philippines.

Six of the 13 players reside in Al Ain or Abu Dhabi. It was for that reason the local organisers had to petition Little League International to include the entire UAE.

The founders of the sport here included only Dubai in the original Little League charter, written 15 years ago. Before this year international competition has permitted them to utilise only players who lived in Dubai; players from Abu Dhabi and Al Ain were ineligible.

This is the first time a side representing all of the emirates will be able to play in the competition.

If the geographical limitations stipulated by Little League International seem a little stringent, there is a reason.

Teams are required to provide six different proofs of identity – three governing age and three concerning residency. Only players living in the UAE before February 1 of this year are eligible, to guard against teams importing talented players especially for the competition. That may seem excessive, but such is the desirability of a place in Williamsport, underhandedness does go on. More than once the rules governing the ages of the players involved have been manipulated by teams seeking to gain an unfair advantage.

Not that such things will be worrying the UAE team. Nor was the prospect of trying to find a way to topple the leading force in the Asia Pacific region, Chinese Taipei, uppermost in their thoughts yesterday.

The tour party, which will number in excess of 40, once parents are added, were still waiting on the arrival of team uniforms that have been specially commissioned for the trip.

"There is nothing else we can do to get ready," Page said. "We have worked hard, practised hard, we are ready to go.

"We would love to win the tournament more than anything else but if we go there, give 100 per cent in every game and know that we did not beat ourselves, but were beaten by a better team, then that is success.

"I got to travel 30kms for an all-star tournament. We won one game, lost the next and we were done. These boys are from one country, living in another one, getting to represent that country in yet a different country, against 11 other ones.

"We said to them this is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

"Don't blow it."

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