Pakistan to host Asian baseball event

Ten countries to participate in West Asia Cup in November.

KARACHI: Despite foreign players showing their reluctance in visiting the country due to security concerns, Pakistan was awarded the hosting rights for the 11th West Asia Cup by the Baseball Federation of Asia (BFA).

The event, which will also serve as qualifiers for the Asian Championship, begins on November 13 and will feature 10 teams from Afghanistan, Iran, India, Nepal, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kuwait, Qatar and Sri Lanka besides the hosts, said Pakistan Federation of Baseball (PFB) Secretary Khawar Shah.

“It’s about trust-building with the international federations,” Shah told The Express Tribune. “Hosting the West Asia Cup is a matter of pride and also a big responsibility for us.

“The BFA has agreed to allot us this tournament despite the law-and-order situation in the country and a poor image abroad. I can say that the PFB has worked hard in convincing the Asian countries and we have proved our competence by hosting three series with Sri Lanka in the last three years.

“I believe we will be able to hold this championship in Pakistan according to international standards.

“We still have to decide the venue for the West Asia Cup. We have three months to look for a better venue than the one at the Lahore Stadium.” Shah added that a coach from Cuba or Japan is likely to be hired to prepare the national team in September.

Nine departments have been sent notifications asking them to send their best players for the national camp, added the official.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 15^th, 2013.