When Ollie Duthie first introduced himself to his new baseball teammates after arriving at university in Canada, he knew he might pique some curiosity.
Students who were born and raised in the UAE do not exactly abound on the baseball diamonds in North America.
In fact, according to the records of the Dubai Little League – the junior competition with a membership of around 400 kids – he is the first such player to make it to college-level baseball.
The former Dubai College pupil earned a scholarship to attend University of British Columbia in Vancouver at the start of this academic year, based on his ability as a pitcher.
Ahead of joining up with his new colleagues, he guessed he might have some questions to answer. Maybe he would have to point out his home town on a world map, 12,000 kilometres away from his new one.
As it turned out, his new friends knew plenty about Dubai already. Like the fact absolutely everyone there drives high-velocity sports cars.
“There was a lot of shock at first when I said I was from Dubai,” said Duthie, speaking on Zoom from his dormitory room in Vancouver on Canada’s west coast.
“I think the furthest anyone else has come from is probably Toronto, which is a three-hour plane ride. For me, it is a 16-hour plane ride.
“A lot of the guys are curious. Dubai is well known. But most people don’t know what Dubai is actually like, just what the media portrays it to be.
“They ask me questions like, ‘Do you drive a Lamborghini?’ It is pretty funny to see the perception of it.”
If he is a source of intrigue for them, then the feeling is mutual. Duthie says he has been learning fast about his new surroundings.
“The team did a really good job of integrating me,” he said. “They organised a spikeball tournament, where we could sit around, have some pizza, and chat.
“When the coach said we were going to play spikeball, I had heard of the game but never played it.
“He asked if anyone had never played it. I begrudgingly put my hand up. Everyone laughed and he said, ‘Of course the Dubai kid has never played it.’
“There are a few other things I’m not used to about the culture here. I’m sometimes the brunt of a lot of jokes, just because I’m new. It is fun. I enjoy it.”
Remarkably, Duthie is one of three players – all left-handed pitchers – to make it from the baseball fields next to Dubai Pond Park to play baseball at college this year.
They ask me questions like, ‘Do you drive a Lamborghini?’ It is pretty funny to see the perception of Dubai.
Ollie Duthie - college league baseballer
He has kept in touch with Jack Chapleski and Mattia Sparacino, who were peers in a year group of 15 players in the DLL, and traded notes about being freshman players in alien climes.
“At first it was a big shock to the system because some guys had played probably three times the amount of games that I have,” Duthie said.
“I was doing drills that were common for them but new to me. There was a little learning bump, but as I am playing more, getting more playing time, I feel like I am adjusting well. I’m grateful to be here. It’s been an insane journey.
“Technically I have improved a lot. I have gained some velocity and some strength, and I feel I have progressed as a pitcher.
“And in terms of myself, I have got to understand there are a lot of games, so I can’t get too down on myself if things don’t go my way. They eventually will so I just have to keep going.”
Duthie has pitched in 10 innings so far, in a side who have played 40 matches this season, including trips as far afield as Arizona and California.
His university is the only Canadian team to feature in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics competition, which otherwise solely involves sides from the United States.
Last weekend involved a nine-hour bus trip to Oregon. They played four games in two days, then drove back, arriving at 4am ahead of classes on Monday.
While matches for Duthie used to have the backdrop of Burj Khalifa, now they have packed stands. When they played – and beat – the professionals of the Toronto Blue Jays minor league side, around 4,000 spectators came to watch.
All of which might be daunting for a newcomer from out of town. Duthie acknowledges he was apprehensive ahead of his first competitive action.
“I was the third player out of the bullpen [the area where pitchers warm up before entering the game],” he said.
“It was pretty early and I was nervous and excited. There were a lot of emotions, knowing that I was going to be continuing the Dubai dream of playing college baseball.
“Once I got on the mound I was nervous. But once you pick up the ball you realise it is the same old game you’ve been playing for years.”
He was not the only one feeling tense.
“Watching online from here at 3am, I was terrified,” said his father, Roger, who is president of the DLL.
“I got up at 2am and 3am for the first three weeks he was there and watched every game. It was hard when it didn’t go too well, but it was wonderful and full of elation when it did go well.
“It is all part of the learning curve. It is hard not to be there helping him out, but he is doing it himself.”
Now, Duthie Jr is loving the experience – as well as the opportunity to represent Dubai.
“When we walk in, we have our own music and a big scoreboard with a photo that shows where we are from,” he said.
“Because we are freshmen, the team pick our walkout music for us. I was given a British rap, which I think stands out a bit. A lot of people in the stands were questioning that.
“Some of my friends came to watch and they said the Dubai stood out a lot, and they heard people talking about it. It is pretty cool, but you have to try to ignore it when you are out there.
“The first time I did it, I had goosebumps. You have to run down from the bullpen to the mound, and it takes about 30 to 45 seconds.
“There were so many thoughts going through my head. But once you pick up that ball, you lock in.”
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 194hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 275Nm from 2,000-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Price: from Dh155,000
On sale: now
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Profile of Foodics
Founders: Ahmad AlZaini and Mosab AlOthmani
Based: Riyadh
Sector: Software
Employees: 150
Amount raised: $8m through seed and Series A - Series B raise ongoing
Funders: Raed Advanced Investment Co, Al-Riyadh Al Walid Investment Co, 500 Falcons, SWM Investment, AlShoaibah SPV, Faith Capital, Technology Investments Co, Savour Holding, Future Resources, Derayah Custody Co.
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Barcelona v Liverpool, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE).
Second leg
Liverpool v Barcelona, Tuesday, May 7, 11pm
Games on BeIN Sports
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Which honey takes your fancy?
Al Ghaf Honey
The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year
Sidr Honey
The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest
Samar Honey
The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km
Price: From Dh796,600
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Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Blonde
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FIGHT CARD
Bantamweight Hamza Bougamza (MAR) v Jalal Al Daaja (JOR)
Catchweight 67kg Mohamed El Mesbahi (MAR) v Fouad Mesdari (ALG)
Lighweight Abdullah Mohammed Ali (UAE) v Abdelhak Amhidra (MAR)
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Middleweight Yousri Belgaroui (TUN) v Badreddine Diani (MAR)
Catchweight 78kg Rashed Dawood (UAE) v Adnan Bushashy (ALG)
Middleweight Sallaheddine Dekhissi (MAR) v Abdel Emam (EGY)
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ETFs explained
Exhchange traded funds are bought and sold like shares, but operate as index-tracking funds, passively following their chosen indices, such as the S&P 500, FTSE 100 and the FTSE All World, plus a vast range of smaller exchanges and commodities, such as gold, silver, copper sugar, coffee and oil.
ETFs have zero upfront fees and annual charges as low as 0.07 per cent a year, which means you get to keep more of your returns, as actively managed funds can charge as much as 1.5 per cent a year.
There are thousands to choose from, with the five biggest providers BlackRock’s iShares range, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisors SPDR ETFs, Deutsche Bank AWM X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.
How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries
• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.
• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.
• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.
• If users do not wish to pay the fee, they can still use the library’s electronic resources for free by simply registering on the website. Once registered, a username and password is provided, allowing remote access.
• For more information visit the library network's website.
The Matrix Resurrections
Director: Lana Wachowski
Stars: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Jessica Henwick
Rating:****
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Tuesday's fixtures
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History's medical milestones
1799 - First small pox vaccine administered
1846 - First public demonstration of anaesthesia in surgery
1861 - Louis Pasteur published his germ theory which proved that bacteria caused diseases
1895 - Discovery of x-rays
1923 - Heart valve surgery performed successfully for first time
1928 - Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin
1953 - Structure of DNA discovered
1952 - First organ transplant - a kidney - takes place
1954 - Clinical trials of birth control pill
1979 - MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, scanned used to diagnose illness and injury.
1998 - The first adult live-donor liver transplant is carried out
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
The years Ramadan fell in May
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
