Manama begin title quest

TDT | Manama                                                

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com     

Reigning Bahrain champions Manama Club begin their quest tonight to add a new title to their already impressive trophy cabinet when they face off with Kuwait SC in the best-of-three finals of the Gulf sub-zone in the 2022/2023 FIBA West Asia Super League (WASL).

Tonight’s game is scheduled to tip off at 8pm, Bahrain time, at Shaikh Saad Abdullah Sport Hall Complex in Kuwait City.

Manama punched their tickets to the championship decider after completing a two-game sweep of Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia in their semi-final match-up.

Kuwait, on the other hand, defeated Shabab Al Ahli of Dubai in the last four. Heading into tonight’s encounter, Manama’s star point guard Lamont Jones from the US says that any player on their team can step up on any given night and help lift them to a victory.

“We have a team of great players,” Jones was quoted as saying. “Most of the guys are on the national team.

They know how to play. They represent their country, they represent Manama. And I think at any given point anybody can go off, like Mohammed [Ameer], [Ahmed] Haji, [Mustafa Hussain] Mosti.

“We can have somebody off the bench perform, we can have a starter perform, we can have somebody that may not have played a lot tonight coming in to fill the void when we need him. I think that’s a good quality to have.”

Manama have a tough task ahead of them in the finals, as Kuwait are the lone undefeated team in the competition, having swept the six-game group phase, which included two wins against Manama, before taking their semi-final.

Manama conducted their final practice last night in Bahrain prior to their departure for the Kuwaiti capital.

Game two in the finals series is scheduled for May 15 at the Khalifa Sports City Arena in Isa Town.

Game three, if needed, will take place May 22 back in Kuwait City.

With their finals berth, Manama are also assured of a place in the WASL Final 8, where they will be joined by champions of South Asia and Central Asia.

The WASL Final 8 will qualify for FIBA Asia Champions Cup 2023, on the road to FIBA Intercontinental Cup 2023, FIBA’s highest club competition.

The WASL is a new basketball competition sanctioned by FIBA, the sport’s global governing body. Manama are one of 16 teams that have taken part in this inaugural edition.