Participating in BFA Asian Championship a milestone in Palestine Baseball/Softball history
The recently concluded XXX BFA Asian Baseball Championship in Taiwan created many success stories, including Japan's title winning run, the inauguration of a new venue - the Taipei Dome - and Pakistan's exciting journey to the tournament and beyond. But one story in particular proved to be a home run - Palestine.
Ranked 55th in the world, Palestine finished seventh in the XXX BFA Asian Championship, ahead of No. 43 Thailand in only their second international baseball tournament. Their record (2-3) tied No. 37 Hong Kong and No. 49 Pakistan.
Recent Beginnings
Palestine, who became a World Baseball Softball Confederation member in 2019, made their successful international debut at the BFA XV West Asian Cup, played in Islamabad, Pakistan in March this year. They advanced to the final undefeated (4-0) before losing the final to the hosts but their successful debut earnt them a trip to the BFA Asian Baseball Championship.
The WBSC helped introduce baseball/softball to the Gaza Strip in 2018 through an equipment donation supporting a United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) project before Mahmoud Tafesh and his brother Ahmed, the current president of the National Federation, launched the Palestinian Federation of Baseball & Softball and started promoting Baseball, Softball and Baseball5.
According to Palestine infielder Nader Ihmoud, who was also a journalist before becoming a member of the national team, the concept of assembling a National Palestinian Baseball Team started at the same time by Chicago engineer Abder Ghouleh, whose family originates from the village of Lifta in the West Bank.
Ghouleh, the delegation leader of the team in Taiwan, is credited for retaining the service of Ozzie Guillen Jr. as the manager of the national team. “It wasn’t until 2022 that we were able to assemble a close-to-complete team. Before that, there were just a few clubs scattered around, and we didn’t have a “national team”,” said Ghouleh.
Players who reside in different states in the United States of America, mostly in the Chicago area (which is home to the largest Palestinian community in the US) and players developed in the Middle East, mix on the roster.
“All our players in the US have Palestine ties. We go back to see our families every year,” said Ghouleh.
Ahead of the BFA Asian Championship, the team couldn't practice together, since players live in different areas.
"Players in Chicago get to practice the most frequently, and players in other states schedule their practice. Players in the Gaza Strip also run their practice. We lack the resources to fly them all into Chicago for practice."
With the players from the U.S. and Gaza, Palestine made their debut in the BFA XV West Asian Cup and the BFA Asian Baseball Championship.
Palestine’s Shohei Ohtani
About half of the players who played in the West Asia Cup were in Taiwan for the Asian Baseball Championship, including the MVP of the West Asia Cup Yunis Haleem.
Nicknamed Palestine’s Shohei Ohtani for his two-way ability, Haleem’s passion for baseball started with a drive-by of a baseball field with his mum when he was little. “My mum drove by the field where the baseball was being played. She figured that I may be interested in it, so she pulled over, stopped the car and signed me up.”
Haleem graduated from Chicago State University with a major in criminal justice and he played NCAA Division I baseball.
“Baseball is the passion. I enjoy playing the game and am most proud of wearing the national team uniform. We want our country to be recognized, and we want to let the world know about us. We also want our people to know we did not forget about them; we are playing for them. We go back to visit our families every year,” added Haleem.
The Asian Championship saw the players represent Palestine on a different stage, visiting Taiwan for the first time.
“The Taiwanese fans here are incredible, and we appreciate their support. I see them holding the signs to cheer us up. I see them waving our flags. This is something I had never experienced.” said Haleem.
Ghouleh also echoed Haleem's comments. “The experience here is simply amazing. I want to thank BFA and CTBA for their hospitality. They made us feel so welcome here, and the fans are so great here. All the stadiums we played are great, and the Dome is fantastic too.”
Developing baseball in the homeland, one step at a time
Ghouleh mentioned the difficulties in promoting the sport in Palestine.
“I think most West Asian countries would face the same problem when we are trying to develop baseball. It’s hard to get a dedicated field. In the Gaza Strip, we practice on a soccer field at the moment," Ghouleh said. "The current situation makes it hard for us to gather resources for baseball development.”
Over the years, Ghouleh has also been trying to send grassroots equipment home through many different channels, and sometimes it requires some clever ideas such as donating the resources through world-known charity organizations.
“Sometimes, I just bring them with me when I return to visit,” said Ghouleh.
But success in the West Asia Cup and participating in the BFA Asian Baseball Championship has also helped the Palestine National Team get more exposure and resources needed to develop the sport and maintain the operations of the National Team.
“We are receiving more attention from the media and public exposure after winning a silver medal in the West Asia Cup 2023. For our trip here to Taiwan, a lot of media are following us, and we are getting more exposure than before,” Ghouleh said.
“My plan is to host baseball camps in Palestine when the situation gets better. We will be able to invite higher level coaches, provide more equipment to kids, and give our players better training conditions,” Ghouleh added. “I know there is a lot of work, and it will take a lot of effort to make it happen, but it is my plan.”
Proud to be playing
Ihmoud was among the first persons to respond to Ghouleh’s proposal to start a Palestinian National Baseball Team in 2019. As an infielder, a journalist, an insurance agent, and a small business owner in Chicago, he has been documenting the journey of the team from scratch.
“As a journalist who is also playing, I think I can have a different perspective when I help to promote the team,” Ihmoud said, pointing at his chest, where the red lettering of Palestine is displayed on his practice jersey. “We are all very proud of this uniform and want Palestine to be recognized on a world stage like this. I believe that we will continue to have the chance to play internationally, and we want to show the world that we can and that we are competitive.
"This has been an exceptional experience for our team," he added. "It's everyone's first time here in Taiwan; the stadiums are beautiful, the food is great, the people are nice, and the fans are incredible. They waved our flags, and when Charles (Haddad) produced our first hit against Chinese Taipei, they gave us the night's loudest applause."
