Coaches and officials from the Dubai Little League described scholarship awards to three youngsters to play baseball at colleges in North America as "incredible".
Ollie Duthie and Jack Chapleski, who started out in the sport as young children playing T-ball in Dubai, will study in Vancouver and Massachusetts respectively.
Mattia Sparacino, who has lived in Dubai for eight years, will be heading to college in Los Angeles at the end of the UAE’s academic year.
To put the trio's achievement into context, fewer than 10 per cent of high school players in the US go on to play college baseball.
Yet three players will be graduating from a league based next to Barsha Pond Park - a league whose entire junior membership is around 400 and with a pool of about 15 in their age group.
Coincidentally, all three players are left-handed pitchers, which is also extremely rare, according to Roger Duthie, the league’s president.
"Because they are international students, finding them was very difficult for these schools," Duthie said.
“These kids were recruited based on videos, recommendations from coaches, and interviews.
“Normally, you would have to watch the kid in person, but because of Covid and other things, they were taken on their videos, which is incredible.
“It is a hard thing to do to play college sports at the next level. To have three kids, two of whom grew up in Dubai, and the other who has been here for eight years, is an incredible thing to happen.
“Also, all three are left-handed pitchers. Having one is pretty unique, but to have three who are graduating and playing in America on scholarships in unheard of.”
Ollie, Duthie’s son, will be attending Canada’s leading baseball university, in British Columbia, where he plans to dovetail playing with studying geography.
The Dubai College schoolboy was born in the city, and started out in T-ball aged three. After pursuing other sports, he chose to focus on baseball in recent years.
“I remember having a bat and ball when I was younger, and throwing it around wherever I could,” Ollie said.
“I always loved the game, and continued trying to get as good as I can. I think I’ve reached the best I could possibly be in my situation, and am grateful for everything DLL has allowed me to do.”
I've always wanted to prove myself on the baseball field with my attitude and my effort
Ollie has fostered a love for the Toronto Bluejays, often waking up “at 4am if it is school day, or stay up till 3am if it is an important game and not sleep that day”.
He regards their former pitcher Marcus Stroman as a role model, given his journey to the pro game despite his diminutive stature.
“His motto is, ‘Height doesn’t measure heart,” Ollie said. “I was always much shorter than everyone else.
“I’ve grown a little now, but I have always been one of the shorter players, and I’ve always wanted to prove myself on the baseball field with my attitude and my effort, so he is the player I look up to.”
Mattia will be studying micro-economics and world affairs at Occidental College in California alongside his baseball.
“Every year I have been here at DLL, it has been getting bigger and bigger,” he said.
“We have had more access and more facilities. We have had a lot of new additions that have helped us greatly, especially with our coaches.
“Two years ago was when I turned around and I felt I could really make something of this if I tried.”
Jack, who was born in Japan before his family moved to Dubai when he was two, said he did not want his baseball career to end when he left school.
“I had seen the stats early on [about how few players advance from high school to college baseball], but I never really thought I couldn’t do it,” said Jack, who will attend Tufts University.
Daniel Edwards, the trio’s pitching coach, said the college scholarships mark a remarkable achievement for the DLL.
"This league does an unbelievable job with the resources they have," said Edwards, who was drafted to MLB teams Cleveland Indians and Philadelphia Phillies before moving into a career in the oil and gas industry.
“The facility is great, and there is a lot of enthusiasm. But the United States, Canada and Latin America have such a huge population that they really don’t look internationally.
“For three kids to come out of a senior class in the middle of the desert is pretty incredible.
“We are hoping it can become more of the norm. The grades matter, as does the fact they are not so set on playing pro ball, but are happy to be playing college ball.
“It is really exciting. It is difficult enough to do it from America, let alone from out here.”
SPECS
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Representing%20UAE%20overseas
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ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies direct from Dubai to Rio de Janeiro from Dh7,000 return including taxes. Avianca fliles from Rio to Cusco via Lima from $399 (Dhxx) return including taxes.
The trip
From US$1,830 per deluxe cabin, twin share, for the one-night Spirit of the Water itinerary and US$4,630 per deluxe cabin for the Peruvian Highlands itinerary, inclusive of meals, and beverages. Surcharges apply for some excursions.
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Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
Pieces of Her
Stars: Toni Collette, Bella Heathcote, David Wenham, Omari Hardwick
Director: Minkie Spiro
Rating:2/5
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Company%20Profile
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The Case For Trump
By Victor Davis Hanson
