Latest news with #KashShaikh
Arab News
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Arab News
Baseball United and Tokyo Broadcasting System launch reality show to find Japan's next baseball stars
DUBAI: A partnership between Baseball United, the first professional baseball league focused on the Middle East and South Asia, and leading Japanese broadcaster Tokyo Broadcast System will give young baseball players a shot at becoming professional stars. The reality show, 'Tryout: Plan D,' will feature hundreds of hopefuls competing for two roster spots on the Mid East Falcons, one of Baseball United's founding franchises. The winners will play for the Falcons during the inaugural season in Dubai, which begins on Nov. 14. Participants will compete in several stages of the competition, starting in July and ending in November. Ultimately, one pitcher and one batter will be selected after a series of intense challenges measuring skill, mental toughness, physical fitness and passion for the game. The partnership will be anchored by TBS's long running and widely respected show, バース・デイ('Birthday'), a documentary series that has chronicled the triumphs and struggles of athletes across Japan for the last 20 years. Airing on Friday nights, it explores its subjects' personal transformations and emotional journeys. 'Tryout' will bring to life a compelling mix of reality television, human interest and competitive action, while providing real opportunities for Japanese baseball prospects. 'Japan is one of the greatest baseball nations in the world,' said Kash Shaikh, chairman, CEO and co-founder of Baseball United. 'Baseball is engrained into the culture, history and future of this country. And we know there are a lot of talented players that just need an opportunity to showcase their ability. 'Tryout' is more than just a competition — it's a celebration of culture, a catalyst of opportunity and a testament (to) resilience. We are honored to collaborate with TBS and the legendary 'Birthday' team to bring this vision to life.' Tryout will begin airing on TBS in July, with behind-the-scenes content and exclusive footage shared across Baseball United's global channels. The two winners will be officially introduced as members of the Mid East Falcons before the team's game against the Karachi Monarchs on Wednesday, Nov. 19. 'Our program バース・デイ has always sought to showcase the untold stories behind athletic greatness,' said show producer Hidemitsu Takahashi. 'Partnering with Baseball United allows us to elevate that mission by offering young Japanese players the opportunity of a lifetime — to transform their lives through sport, and to do so on a truly international platform. We can't wait to have our two winners take the field in Dubai.' Baseball United was co-founded by Shaikh, John Miedreich, and MLB Hall of Famers Barry Larkin and Mariano Rivera in November 2022. Its ownership group now includes 20 MLB legends, including Hall of Famer Adrian Beltre and stars Felix Hernandez, Ryan Howard, Albert Pujols, Ronald Acuna Jr., Robinson Chirinos, and Matt Barnes. The league currently has four franchises, the Mumbai Cobras, Karachi Monarchs, Arabia Wolves and Mid East Falcons, who will all compete in the league's first season from Nov. 14-Dec. 14. All games will be played at Baseball United Ballpark in Dubai.
Gulf Today
27-03-2025
- Business
- Gulf Today
Dubai to host Baseball United's inaugural season from November 14
Baseball United, the first professional baseball league focused on the Middle East and Indian subcontinent, announced the official dates and schedule for its debut season. The league's first season will run from November 14 to December 14, with all games played at Baseball United Ballpark in Dubai. After making history with three signature baseball events over the last three years, Baseball United will now commence the first professional baseball season in the history of the region. The season will feature the league's founding four franchises, the Mumbai Cobras, Karachi Monarchs, Arabia Wolves, and Mid East Falcons. The teams will each play nine regular season games ‑ facing each other three times each ‑ followed by a best of three United Series beginning December 12 to determine the league champion. Overall, 21 games will be played over 30 days at Baseball United's new ballpark in Dubai. 'Our team has worked so hard, for so long, to make this news official,' said Kash Shaikh, Baseball United Chairman, CEO, and Co-Founder. 'We are so grateful for the support of our Dubai and UAE partners, our investors, and all the fans around the world who've helped make BU the most well-known internationally-based professional baseball league in the world. 'We've received all that support through several special events and big milestones since our launch in November of 2022. And now, we get to reward our fans with a full season. Everything starts small, but we believe this will be the beginning of a new chapter in baseball history.' The season will begin with the subcontinent series, November 14-16, between the Mumbai Cobras and Karachi Monarchs. This historic series will mark the first time Indian and Pakistani franchises have ever faced each other in baseball. The two large countries - with 1.8 billion people between them - enjoy one of the most passionate rivalries in all of sport. The highly anticipated India vs Pakistan cricket match in the ICC Champions Trophy event last month garnered a record 600 million viewers - that is 5 times more viewers than the Super Bowl. Baseball United's recent UAE Series event between the Arabia Wolves and Mid East Falcons was watched by 12 million unique viewers, including 3.3m unique viewers per game in Pakistan A Sports. The viewership numbers are more than any MLB regular season game played in the United States last year. With two billion people in the Middle East and South Asia - one billion of which are cricket fans - Baseball United has a massive market to introduce America's Pastime. Baseball United has also garnered strong viewership in baseball hotbeds globally, including the United States, Japan, and Latin America. Full rosters for the season will be announced later this spring. To date, 65% of Baseball United's players were originally drafted by Major League Baseball teams, including 8x MLB All-Star, Robinson Cano, 4x MLB Gold Glover, Andrelton Simmons, and 3x MLB World Series Champion, Pablo Sandoval. Karan Patel - the first player of Indian descent ever drafted by an MLB team and the #1 overall pick by the Mumbai Cobras in the league's 2023 draft - will pitch for the Cobras, while former Atlanta Braves All-Star, Jair Jurrjens will pitch for the Wolves. Each team will have 26 players. Baseball United built its new ballpark at The Sevens sports and entertainment complex in Dubai in just 38 days last fall, and since then has hosted the largest international amateur baseball tournament in the history of the region, the Arab Classic, along with last month's UAE Series. The ballpark is the first professional baseball field in the history of the region.
Khaleej Times
25-03-2025
- Business
- Khaleej Times
UAE's first baseball league announces schedule for opening season
Baseball United, the first professional baseball league focused on the Middle East and Indian Subcontinent, announced the official dates and schedule for its debut season. The league's first season will run from November 14 to December 14, with all games played at Baseball United Ballpark in Dubai. After making history with three signature baseball events over the last three years, Baseball United will now commence the first professional baseball season in the history of the region. The season will feature the league's founding four franchises, the Mumbai Cobras, Karachi Monarchs, Arabia Wolves, and Mid East Falcons. The teams will each play nine regular season games — facing each other three times each — followed by a best of three United Series beginning December 12 to determine the league champion. Overall, 21 games will be played over 30 days at Baseball United's new ballpark in Dubai. 'Our team has worked so hard, for so long, to make this news official,' said Kash Shaikh, Baseball United Chairman, CEO, and Co-Founder. 'We are so grateful for the support of our Dubai and UAE partners, our investors, and all the fans around the world who've helped make BU the most well-known internationally-based professional baseball league in the world. We've received all that support through several special events and big milestones since our launch in November of 2022. And now, we get to reward our fans with a full season. Everything starts small, but we believe this will be the beginning of a new chapter in baseball history.' The season will begin with the Subcontinent Series, November 14 to 16, between the Mumbai Cobras and Karachi Monarchs. This historic series will mark the first time Indian and Pakistani franchises have ever faced each other in baseball. The two large countries - with 1.8 billion people between them - enjoy one of the most passionate rivalries in all of sport. The highly anticipated India vs Pakistan cricket match in the ICC Champions Trophy event last month garnered a record 600 million viewers - that is 5 times more viewers than the Super Bowl. The league will announce its official broadcaster partners this summer, including television and digital streaming reaching all 193 countries. Baseball United's recent UAE Series event between the Arabia Wolves and Mid East Falcons was watched by 12 million unique viewers, including 3.3M unique viewers per game in Pakistan A Sports. The viewership numbers are more than any MLB regular season game played in the United States last year. With two billion people in the Middle East and South Asia - one billion of which are cricket fans - Baseball United has a massive market to introduce America's Pastime. Baseball United has also garnered strong viewership in baseball hotbeds globally, including the United States, Japan, and Latin America. Full rosters for the season will be announced later this spring. To date, 65% of Baseball United's players were originally drafted by Major League Baseball teams, including MLB All-Star, Robinson Cano, MLB Gold Glover, Andrelton Simmons, and MLB World Series Champion, Pablo Sandova l. Baseball United built its new ballpark at The Sevens sports and entertainment complex in Dubai in just 38 days last fall, and since then has hosted the largest international amateur baseball tournament in the history of the region, the Arab Classic, along with last month's UAE Series. The ballpark is the first professional baseball field in the history of the region.
Arab News
25-03-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Baseball United announces schedule for historic first season in the UAE
DUBAI: Baseball United, the first professional baseball league focused on the Middle East and Indian subcontinent, has announced the official dates and schedule for its debut season. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport The inaugural series will run from Nov. 14 to Dec. 14, with all games played at Baseball United Ballpark in Dubai. Following three signature baseball events over the last three years, Baseball United will now launch the first professional baseball season in the history of the region. The season will feature the league's founding four franchises — the Mumbai Cobras, Karachi Monarchs, Arabia Wolves and Mid East Falcons. The teams will each play nine regular season games, facing each other three times each, followed by a best of three United Series from Dec. 12 to determine the league champion. Overall, 21 games will be played over 30 days. 'Our team has worked so hard, for so long, to make this news official,' said Kash Shaikh, Baseball United chairman, CEO and co-founder. 'We are so grateful for the support of our Dubai and UAE partners, our investors and all the fans around the world who've helped make BU the most well-known internationally based professional baseball league in the world. We've received all that support through several special events and big milestones since our launch in November of 2022. And now, we get to reward our fans with a full season. Everything starts small, but we believe this will be the beginning of a new chapter in baseball history.' The season will begin with the Subcontinent Series from Nov. 14-16, with the Mumbai Cobras against the Karachi Monarchs. This will mark the first time Indian and Pakistani franchises have faced each other in baseball. The two countries — which between them have a population of some 1.8 billion — have one of the most passionate rivalries in all of sport. The highly anticipated India vs Pakistan cricket match in the ICC Champions Trophy last month garnered a record 600 million viewers — five times more than the Super Bowl. The league will announce its official broadcast partners this summer, including television and digital streaming that will reach every country. Baseball United's recent UAE Series event between the Arabia Wolves and Mid East Falcons was watched by 12 million unique viewers, including 3.3 million per game in Pakistan A Sports. The viewership numbers are more than any Major League Baseball regular season game played in the US last year. With 2 billion people in the Middle East and South Asia — 1 billion of whom are cricket fans — Baseball United has a massive potential market. Full rosters for the season will be announced later this spring. To date, 65 percent of Baseball United's players were originally drafted by MLB teams, including eight-time All-Star Robinson Cano, four-time Gold Glover Andrelton Simmons and three-time World Series Champion, Pablo Sandoval. Karan Patel — the first player of Indian descent to be drafted by an MLB team and the number one pick by the Mumbai Cobras in the league's 2023 draft — will pitch for the Cobras, while former Atlanta Braves All-Star Jair Jurrjens will pitch for the Wolves. Each team will have 26 players. Baseball United built its new ballpark at The Sevens sports and entertainment complex in Dubai in just 38 days last fall. Since then it has hosted the largest international amateur baseball tournament in the region's history, the Arab Classic, along with last month's UAE Series.
Arab News
18-02-2025
- Sport
- Arab News
‘Couldn't have scripted it better' — Baseball United chief's pride after record UAE Series attendance and viewing
DUBAI: A record three million viewers watched the three-game UAE Series between the Arabia Wolves and the Mid East Falcons last weekend, Baseball United has announced. The series was carried by 17 linear and digital broadcast partners and drew viewers from more than 100 countries including the US, Canada, Mexico, Japan, France, the UK, Italy, Australia, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, India, Pakistan, South Africa and Saudi Arabia, making it the most-watched baseball event in the history of the region. The series marked the first time the Wolves and the Falcons — the league's two UAE-based franchises — took the field. The Dubai-based Wolves won all three games, including a close 5-4 victory in Sunday's finale. The series was hosted at Baseball United's new ballpark at The Sevens sports and entertainment complex in Dubai and was a complete sellout. The modular seating currently accommodates 3,000 fans, with plans to scale up to 10,000 for future events. 'We are truly grateful to reach another set of milestones on our journey toward building the region's next great sport,' said Kash Shaikh, chairman, CEO and co-founder of Baseball United, the first professional baseball league focused on the Middle East and Indian subcontinent. 'This past weekend, we put two of our franchises on the field for the first time. We had several of the world's best baseball players playing for the first time at our new ballpark. We sold out each night. We reached millions of new fans on social media. And we had a record number of broadcast partners and viewers. And, of course, we had three great games of high-quality baseball. We couldn't have scripted it any better. I'm very thankful to all of our partners, and very proud of our Baseball United team.' The Arabia Wolves won the opening game 6-5, with left-fielder Courtney Hawkins hitting a solo home run to provide the difference. Brian Schlitter, who previously played in Major League Baseball for the Chicago Cubs and Oakland Athletics, and in Nippon Professional Baseball for the Saitama Seibu Lions, got the win. On Saturday night, the Wolves ran away with an 11-0 victory behind a dominant pitching performance from starter Cameron Gann. Gann pitched five innings and struck out nine for the win. Wolves prospect Ernest Ohandza, the first professional baseball player in the history of Cameroon, struck out the final batter to end the night. Sunday night was another close affair, with the Falcons mounting a late rally to turn a four-run deficit into a one-run game. Local prospect Lorenzo Riddle got the win for the hometown Wolves, with Connor Panas and Didi Gregorius both going deep for the red and black. Panas was originally drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2015, and Gregorius spent 11 years in MLB, including five as the starting shortstop for the New York Yankees. The teams were managed by game veterans John McLaren (Wolves) and Dennis Cook (Falcons), while future baseball hall of famer Albert Pujols was part of the pregame ceremonies and served as the broadcast analyst for all three games. Baseball United built its new ballpark in just 38 days last year. Since then it has hosted the largest international amateur baseball tournament in the history of the region, the Arab Classic, along with this past weekend's inaugural professional games. The league will be on hiatus during Ramadan and the summer months, returning to action in October.
