Abu Dhabi: The founder of the new Abu Dhabi Softball League has hailed its inaugural season as a success after the final match was played at Zayed Sports City on Tuesday.
Desert Dhabis emerged as champions after a convincing 16-3 win over Millennium Falcons — on a night when the league was honoured in the presence of Shaikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development, who threw the ceremonial first pitch.
The league was created by Argentinian expat Florencia Caro, who used to have to regularly travel to Dubai to play in the long-established league there. The six-week, six-team league, which started in March, was the first in Abu Dhabi in a decade and another is due to begin on May 14.
Caro, who played softball semi-professionally in her hometown of Buenos Aires, said she has been overwhelmed by the response to the league.
“I came to Abu Dhabi three-and-a-half years ago and I noticed there weren’t any softball teams here, so I used to go to Dubai twice a week to play,” she told Gulf News.
“There were 10 to 15 people from Abu Dhabi who went with me to Dubai and I thought that there must be a bigger community here that wants to play the game.”
So Caro set up the league and created a page on Facebook to attract interest, with players of all ages and abilities signing up to take part.
Louise Arnold, an Abu Dhabi resident from England, joined one of the teams and said she enjoyed the season. “I heard about the league and I’ve always wanted to play. I used to watch the game and it’s been really good fun,” she said. “It’s a great social sport and you don’t have to be athletic to join the teams. It’s just fun.”
Registration for the next running of the Abu Dhabi Softball League is now open via the Facebook page. Anyone is welcome to join and equipment will be provided.
— Sarah Diaa is a trainee at Gulf News.
