Muharraq set for Arab clubs basketball

TDT | Manama    

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahraini basketball club Muharraq will be flying the Kingdom’s flag in the 35th Arab Clubs Basketball Championship, scheduled to take place in Doha, Qatar, from 1 to 12 October. Muharraq are one of 18 teams from all over the region in the competition.

Hosts Qatar will have two sides, as will Egypt, Lebanon and Kuwait.

Aside from Bahrain, there will also be one representative apiece from Yemen, Libya, Palestine, Oman, Syria, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Morocco and Iraq in the fray.

Amongst the participating teams are defending champions Kuwait Sports Club.

The tournament is being held under the auspices of the Arab Basketball Confederation.

A meeting was held by the event’s organising committee to discuss all issues related to the competition and to officially finalise the list of participating sides.

The championship format has yet to be confirmed, although the organising committee announced that eight games will be played per day during the preliminary stage.

Aside from the Arab clubs event, Muharraq will also be playing in the second season of the FIBA West Asia Super League (WASL).

Muharraq are in the tournament along with defending WASL champions Manama.

The competition will bring together a total of 18 teams, consisting of 13 champions and five runners-up from domestic leagues of the Gulf, West, South, and Central Asia Sub-Zones.

Muharraq, who are making their WASL debut, are in Group A of the Gulf sub-zone alongside Al Ahli Jeddah of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait SC of Kuwait and Al Rayyan of Qatar; while Manama are in Group B along with Kazma of Kuwait, Shabab Al Ahli of the UAE and Al Shamal from Qatar.

WASL action is scheduled to tip off on 16 October.