When Ollie Duthie was first asked about his eligibility to represent Great Britain at baseball’s Under 23s World Cup, really his UK passport was perfectly sufficient.
Instead, he seems intent on proving his Britishness by adhering to the adage that only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.
At noon on Wednesday, while most people were doing their best to stay out of the heat of late summer in Dubai, he was out on the pitcher’s mound.
He is in transit in the city in which he was born and raised, between university term time in Vancouver and playing at the junior World Cup in China next month.
Rather than rest up in the air-conditioning and try to ward off jet lag, he preferred to get back out on to the fields where he learnt the game and limber up his pitching arm.
James Collette, the catcher who helped oversee his development in the Dubai Little League, was there to help out.
Duthie was straight back into the old routine, launching fast balls down the 18 metres from the mound to home plate.
Only something was different from last time he was here. The fizz of the ball through the air and the noise as it cracked into Colette’s glove was telling.
His years studying and playing at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver have clearly had an effect. Duthie’s fast ball has been clocked at 88mph during his time playing in Canada.
His scholarship to attend UBC has opened up new doors for the former JESS Jumeirah and Dubai College schoolboy. Now he is set to become the lone Dubai-born participant on the world stage at the competition in China.
“[Baseball] has provided so many amazing opportunities for me, travelling all over the world, Canada and America, as well as Korea and now China,” Duthie said.
“I never thought it would take me this far. I called it a hobby for so long, then all of a sudden I was practicing six days a week and it was all that’s on your mind 24/7. To see it paying off like this is exceptional.”
With an English mother and a UK-passport, Duthie is about as close to being a dyed in the wool Brit as anyone representing the team in their U23 World Cup debut.
The team have drawn their players from established hotspots for the sport across North America, most with a family link to Britain.
It means they are likely to be more competitive than being the whipping boys of a group that also includes No 1 seeds Japan, Australia and Puerto Rico.
“We are going in as underdogs but we are told on every phone call that the goal is to win,” Duthie said of a GB team who are 18th in baseball’s world rankings.
“You are crazy if you don’t go to try and win every game. It is going to be very difficult. We face some very talented teams like Japan and Australia.
“But seeing the roster we have got, we want to go all the way. That is what we are playing for.”
He says he did not need to be asked twice when he received the invitation to play.
“I’d seen videos of the World Baseball Classic, and that really opened my eyes up to all the international teams that play,” Duthie said.
“Seeing Great Britain play was pretty cool. I watched every one of their games. I have a lot of friends who play in the junior Canada team.
“When I got the call up for Great Britain, there was never a doubt in my mind as to whether I wanted to play or not.”
GB will play on the opening night of the tournament against the hosts, China, in a stadium that holds around 6,000 people.
The prospect of playing in front of a crowd like that holds no fear for Duthie. After all, he has experienced similar already in Canada.
“I love that atmosphere. I don’t know a single person that doesn't,” he said.
“I perform my best when there are people watching. It is exciting. Even if they are chirping at me, saying things I don’t want to hear, it makes me smile and pitch better.
“The first time was terrifying. It was Game 1 of the summer league [in Vancouver], which I didn’t know I was pitching in, with a crowd of 5,500.
“We were losing at the time and I remember going up and being booed a little. The nerves shake and you just pray for a good outing. I was lucky enough to have one of my best innings ever.
“I went three innings, no runs, and walked off smiling. Ever since then, nothing is going to be as scary as that moment.”
It is a far cry from the sedate climes of the Dubai Little League and their diamonds next to Al Quoz Pond Park. Duthie says his time abroad for university has exposed him to plenty already.
“If people want to say something to hurt your feelings, they’ll say it,” he said.
“The worst thing is warming up beforehand. When you are playing, you are in game mode, but warming up is all about anticipation and you want to be in a good mindset.
“Hearing a six-year-old in the stands say you suck does throw you off a little bit but you have to ignore it. And it goes both ways. Other fans were asking for my signature, and I was signing things before and after.
“When you get on the mound, it is the same game you have been playing for 16 years.”
While the UAE itself might be a while off from participating on baseball’s world stage, Duthie hopes his presence at the World Cup will show aspiring players there is a path to follow.
“Growing up here, there are not a ton of opportunities for playing baseball,” he said.
“But hopefully one day I can inspire a kid to think they can go and play at college. We have a wall of fame and it shows that we can play.
“I have had some success at college level and seen other guys do the same. I would love for a younger version of us to see that as an opportunity, and that if you can play, it doesn’t matter where you are from. If you put in the work, it can be rewarding.”
THE SPECS
Cadillac XT6 2020 Premium Luxury
Engine: 3.6L V-6
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 310hp
Torque: 367Nm
Price: Dh280,000
Most%20polluted%20cities%20in%20the%20Middle%20East
%3Cp%3E1.%20Baghdad%2C%20Iraq%3Cbr%3E2.%20Manama%2C%20Bahrain%3Cbr%3E3.%20Dhahran%2C%20Saudi%20Arabia%3Cbr%3E4.%20Kuwait%20City%2C%20Kuwait%3Cbr%3E5.%20Ras%20Al%20Khaimah%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E6.%20Ash%20Shihaniyah%2C%20Qatar%3Cbr%3E7.%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E8.%20Cairo%2C%20Egypt%3Cbr%3E9.%20Riyadh%2C%20Saudi%20Arabia%3Cbr%3E10.%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cem%3ESource%3A%202022%20World%20Air%20Quality%20Report%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MOST%20POLLUTED%20COUNTRIES%20IN%20THE%20WORLD
%3Cp%3E1.%20Chad%3Cbr%3E2.%20Iraq%3Cbr%3E3.%20Pakistan%3Cbr%3E4.%20Bahrain%3Cbr%3E5.%20Bangladesh%3Cbr%3E6.%20Burkina%20Faso%3Cbr%3E7.%20Kuwait%3Cbr%3E8.%20India%3Cbr%3E9.%20Egypt%3Cbr%3E10.%20Tajikistan%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cem%3ESource%3A%202022%20World%20Air%20Quality%20Report%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
Rebel%20Moon%20%E2%80%93%20Part%20Two%3A%20The%20Scargiver%20review%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Zack%20Snyder%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sofia%20Boutella%2C%20Charlie%20Hunnam%2C%20Ed%20Skrein%2C%20Sir%20Anthony%20Hopkins%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202%2F5%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
ICC T20 Team of 2021
Jos Buttler, Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam, Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, David Miller, Tabraiz Shamsi, Josh Hazlewood, Wanindu Hasaranga, Mustafizur Rahman, Shaheen Afridi
Results
57kg quarter-finals
Zakaria Eljamari (UAE) beat Hamed Al Matari (YEM) by points 3-0.
60kg quarter-finals
Ibrahim Bilal (UAE) beat Hyan Aljmyah (SYR) RSC round 2.
63.5kg quarter-finals
Nouredine Samir (UAE) beat Shamlan A Othman (KUW) by points 3-0.
67kg quarter-finals
Mohammed Mardi (UAE) beat Ahmad Ondash (LBN) by points 2-1.
71kg quarter-finals
Ahmad Bahman (UAE) defeated Lalthasanga Lelhchhun (IND) by points 3-0.
Amine El Moatassime (UAE) beat Seyed Kaveh Safakhaneh (IRI) by points 3-0.
81kg quarter-finals
Ilyass Habibali (UAE) beat Ahmad Hilal (PLE) by points 3-0
Padmaavat
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Jim Sarbh
3.5/5
RESULTS
Men – semi-finals
57kg – Tak Chuen Suen (MAC) beat Phuong Xuan Nguyen (VIE) 29-28; Almaz Sarsembekov (KAZ) beat Zakaria Eljamari (UAE) by points 30-27.
67kg – Mohammed Mardi (UAE) beat Huong The Nguyen (VIE) by points 30-27; Narin Wonglakhon (THA) v Mojtaba Taravati Aram (IRI) by points 29-28.
60kg – Yerkanat Ospan (KAZ) beat Amir Hosein Kaviani (IRI) 30-27; Long Doan Nguyen (VIE) beat Ibrahim Bilal (UAE) 29-28
63.5kg – Abil Galiyev (KAZ) beat Truong Cao Phat (VIE) 30-27; Nouredine Samir (UAE) beat Norapat Khundam (THA) RSC round 3.
71kg – Shaker Al Tekreeti (IRQ) beat Fawzi Baltagi (LBN) 30-27; Amine El Moatassime (UAE) beat Man Kongsib (THA) 29-28
81kg – Ilyass Hbibali (UAE) beat Alexandr Tsarikov (KAZ) 29-28; Khaled Tarraf (LBN) beat Mustafa Al Tekreeti (IRQ) 30-27
86kg – Ali Takaloo (IRI) beat Mohammed Al Qahtani (KSA) RSC round 1; Emil Umayev (KAZ) beat Ahmad Bahman (UAE) TKO round
SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%202-litre%20direct%20injection%20turbo%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%207-speed%20automatic%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20261hp%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20400Nm%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20From%20Dh134%2C999%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
|
1.
|
United States
|
|
2.
|
China
|
|
3.
|
UAE
|
|
4.
|
Japan
|
|
5
|
Norway
|
|
6.
|
Canada
|
|
7.
|
Singapore
|
|
8.
|
Australia
|
|
9.
|
Saudi Arabia
|
|
10.
|
South Korea
|
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League last 16, second leg
Liverpool (0) v Atletico Madrid (1)
Venue: Anfield
Kick-off: Thursday, March 12, midnight
Live: On beIN Sports HD
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
It Was Just an Accident
Director: Jafar Panahi
Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr
Rating: 4/5
German plea
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the German parliament that. Russia had erected a new wall across Europe.
"It's not a Berlin Wall -- it is a Wall in central Europe between freedom and bondage and this Wall is growing bigger with every bomb" dropped on Ukraine, Zelenskyy told MPs.
Mr Zelenskyy was applauded by MPs in the Bundestag as he addressed Chancellor Olaf Scholz directly.
"Dear Mr Scholz, tear down this Wall," he said, evoking US President Ronald Reagan's 1987 appeal to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate.
