Palestine Nine: National Baseball Team Prepares for International Matches
The following is from the special “Baseball Edition” of Palestine in America. The print edition of this magazine is exclusively for our subscribers. The digital version is available to the public for $2.
UPDATE: Since the magazine was published, the Palestinian national baseball team defeated Pakistan 5-3 at the inaugural Lincoln Cup. The team also moved up to 53rd in the world rankings.
In January 2023 25 Palestinians arrived hours apart in Islamabad, Pakistan from different regions of the world to represent their country in the team’s first international baseball tournament.
Ahmad Tafesh, the president of the Palestinian Baseball Federation, learned baseball by watching YouTube videos. He reached out to his fellow Palestinians in the diaspora to help establish a legitimate contender.
Tafesh founded the team in 2017. In 2019, Vice President and Acting Head Coach Abder Rahman Ghouleh gathered Palestinian baseball players from around the world to field a team.
Considering the federation was founded in 2017, the first tryouts in the U.S. did not occur until 2019, and the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the team being tournament-ready in 2023 is no small feat. Neither are the positive on-field results.
The team’s second-place finish at the West Asia Cup earned it an invitation to the Asia Cup in Taiwan later this year, plus a rank of 65th globally. The team is also scheduled to play in the inaugural Lincoln Cup against Pakistan Aug. 5 in Schaumburg, Illinois.
The following photo essay shows how the team achieved its early success and how it is preparing for future international tests.
The summer league team poses for a photo following a game in 2022.The Palestinian national baseball team prepares for international tournaments by competing in leagues in the Chicagoland area. The team is made up of Palestinians from across the U.S. A majority of the players at the time of press are from Illinois.
The Palestinian national team traveled to Pakistan in January 2023 to participate in its first international tournament. The team stood in unison during the opening ceremony of the West Asia Cup.
Stephen Sosebee and Ameer Abdallah embrace during the West Asia Cup in Islamabad, Pakistan. Sosebee plays catcher for the national team and is the founder of Palestinian Children’s Relief Foundation. Abdallah is one of the team’s captains and plays shortstop.
Ibrahim Shalabi swings against Pakistan in the final of the West Asia Cup. Shalabi, who was named “Best Third Baseman” of the tournament, also pitches for the national team. During the tournament, the Palestinian from Beitunia batted over .500 and knocked in four runs. In addition to hitting, Shalabi struck out four Pakistan batters during his three and one-third innings pitched in the championship.
Every team that participated in the West Asia Cup was promised food and board, but the Palestinian team arrived at a complex without Wi-Fi or heat, so the team moved to a hotel a few miles away. Many of Palestine’s players are still in college or had work back in the U.S., so they needed the internet.
Assistant Coach Ayman Abdallah’s (right) sons Ameer and Malik have been a part of the team since its inception. Adam Musa (left) is a pitcher and outfielder for the team.
Tarik El-Abour poses with the Palestinian flag. El-Abour plays outfield for the national team and was the first Palestinian signed by a Major League Baseball team. He spent a season in the Kansas City Royals minor league system and is currently working to get back to a MLB team.
Malik Abdallah (OF), Mohammed Abedrabbo (1B), Elias Atiyeh (INF) and Dylan Renard (INF) pose for a picture as they wait to take the field against Bangladesh in the semifinals of the West Asia Cup. Palestine defeated Bangladesh 14-3 to advance to the finals against Pakistan.
Members of the Palestinian national baseball team pose with the second-place trophy following their 11-3 loss to Pakistan in the West Asia Cup final.
The team arrives at the Islamabad International Airport to return home after spending a week in Pakistan.
