Hosts Pakistan will play Iran in the opening match of the 10thWest Asia Baseball Cup at the Punjab Stadium here on Friday.
Iran was the first team to arrive Pakistan on Wednesday. Meanwhile, secretary Pakistan Federation Baseball Khawar Shah said that Afghanistan had also reached the city on late Thursday evening and the third foreign team Sri Lanka will arrive on Friday.
Khawar while welcoming all the foreign teams in Pakistan ensured fool-proof security arrangements for them. “The Punjab government has made excellent security arrangements for the visitors and Inshallah the event will be successfully end on March 28,” he said.
“The PFB made hectic efforts for a successful bid to get this event and as we have organized first SAARC Cup in Lahore last year, and all the foreign teams returned back home happily this time five teams have confirmed the participation including India, besides Pakistan,” he said,
But he said later on India failed to send the team, leaving it a four-nation contest. He said though Nepal had also expressed the desire to come to Pakistan, but it was, too late to entertain them at that stage.
The secretary said the Pakistan team was fully prepared to get top position,. He said Iran and Sri Lankan were two tough contestants.
“Our boys are well trained by a Korean coach and they are looking in a good shape to beat all the sides to win the top position and to enter the main round of the Asia Cup where it will be playing against giants like South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and China,”he said.
He said one team from this round and another one from the East Asia qualifiers would make the six-team contest of the Asia Cup to be held later this year.
Khawar said Iran was a fast emerging nation in the baseball arena but Pakistan had the potential to give them tough time. Pakistan Olympic Association president Lt. Gen. (retd.) Syed Arif Hasan will inaugurate the tournament.
