At noon on September 21 at Toyohashi City Stadium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, Palestinian players stood side by side on the field, their right hands over their chests ahead of the game’s start. The Palestinian national anthem, *Fida’i*, soon echoed through the stadium speakers. Approximately ten years had passed since Palestine’s baseball journey began—on a soccer field, with bats carved from wood and tennis balls. This was their first appearance on the Asian Games stage.
Though Israel and Palestine share a geographical border, they belong to different continents in international sports. Amid escalating conflicts with Arab nations, Israel withdrew from Asian sports after the 1974 Asian Games and moved to Europe. Palestine, recognized as a member of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) in 1986, has participated in the Asian Games ever since.
The historic opening pitcher was Steven Mufare, 22, a Palestinian-American who grew up in Maryland and works as a youth baseball coach while studying exercise science at Towson University near Baltimore. Mufare allowed four runs in the first inning but held the line scoreless for the next two innings, pitching until the third. Subsequent pitchers also prevented additional runs until the fifth. However, the team collapsed in the sixth, surrendering five runs, and a three-run homer in the seventh sealed a 0-12 mercy loss in their Asian Games debut.
None of the 24 players on this squad traveled from Palestine. After the Gaza War began in October 2023, Gaza-based players were effectively barred from leaving the region. The team now relies on Palestinian-Americans like Mufare, born or raised abroad.
While overseas players form the current core, Palestine’s baseball roots lie in Gaza. Controlled by Hamas since 2007, Gaza has faced prolonged Israeli blockades and Egyptian border restrictions, severely limiting movement. Mahmoud Tapeishi, a youth soccer coach, encountered baseball during a 2016 training trip to Egypt. Upon returning to Gaza, he introduced the sport to children who knew only soccer. Despite limited resources—learning rules and techniques via YouTube—about 60 male and female players gathered within months. The Palestine Baseball and Softball Federation was established in 2017, and the country joined the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) in 2019.
Forming a competitive team proved challenging. Gaza’s players lacked experience and numbers, so the federation recruited Palestinians abroad. Social media calls for players drew diaspora athletes with college baseball experience, primarily in the U.S. For these athletes, representing Palestine on the international stage held profound significance, especially given the country’s incomplete recognition.
Gaza-based and overseas players first competed together at the 2023 West Asia Baseball Cup in Pakistan. However, that event marked their only joint appearance. The Gaza War, which began in October 2023, prevented Gaza players from joining the team. Infielder Mustafa Tapeishi, who played in that tournament, died in an Israeli airstrike in August last year. Outfielder Ashraf Murad, a former team captain, was killed in Gaza in March 2024. Even after a ceasefire in October last year, airstrikes and clashes continued, leaving Gaza players unable to compete abroad.
Overseas Palestinians filled the void. The team continued competing during the war and won their first international title in May last year, defeating Pakistan 5-4 in a 10-inning West Asia Cup final. Pitcher-outfielder Younis Halim said, “Our colleagues in Gaza are proud of us representing Palestine on the international stage and always cheer us on.”
Placed in Group A with Japan, China, and the Philippines, Palestine will challenge host Japan on September 22 and China on September 23 in pursuit of their first win. Among the 67 members of Palestine’s delegation for this Asian Games, baseball is the only team sport.
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