Tarik El-Abour is the first and only Palestinian to be signed by a Major League Baseball (MLB) team. Back in 2018, with the help of team advisor Reggie Jackson, El-Abour was signed by the Kansas City Royals to a minor league deal with the opportunity to earn a spot on the major league roster. He is currently a free agent and has been staying in shape by training daily and playing for the Palestinian national team.

Adam Musa is an outfielder and pitcher for the Palestinian national baseball team. Musa pitched seven solid innings for Team Palestine during the West Asia Cup. The team had a small pitching staff, so his performance was a huge stress reliever. He struck out 10 batters and only gave up one hit as he pitched half the team’s innings during the group stage and semi finals.

Rumsey Yasin had an explosive debut with the Palestinian national team last January in Pakistan. Yasin, who currently plays NCAA Division II baseball, led the team with 10 runs batted in and a batting average above .400. The first baseman joined the team late last year, but is already committed to helping this team grow on and off the field.

Tariq Suboh joined the national team a few weeks before it traveled to Islamabad, Pakistan for the team’s first international tournament, and he quickly became a cornerstone of the team. The catcher hit the first international home run in Team Palestine’s history in the stage-clinching game against Sri Lanka.Suboh most recently played professionally for Nebraska’s Lincoln SaltDogs. His leadership, experience and execution on the field has brought legitimacy to the team.

Last year, in a match surrounded by controversy, Ibrahim dethroned Adam Rothweiler, who held the title for the previous three years. In an interview with Palestine in America for our sports edition and our podcast, the 25-year-old described what it takes to become a pro fighter, wanting to defend his title this year, and the drama that ensued before and after winning the WBC title.