THE stage is set for the 37th GCC Clubs Basketball Championship starting tomorrow at Zain Basketball Arena in Um Al Hassam.
Eight of the region’s leading local teams will be vying for the prestigious hoops title. The two finalists will also qualify for the 2017 Fiba Asia Champions Cup to be held in China this September.
Hosts Bahrain are fielding two teams in the competition - reigning league champions Manama and top basketball club Al Ahli.
The UAE and Qatar also have two teams apiece. Saudi Arabia and Oman have one each while Kuwait are not taking part.
The teams are divided into two groups. Manama are in Group ‘A’ with Al Ettifaq of Oman, Al Rayyan of Qatar and Al Shabab of the UAE.
In Group ‘B’ are Bahrain’s Al Ahli, defending champions UAE’s Al Ahli, Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia and Al Sadd of Qatar.
Manama finished third out of eight in last year’s competition. Fellow-Bahrainis Al Ahli made it to the quarter-finals before bowing out.
Manama and Ali Ahli are both in action on the opening night tomorrow.
Manama take on Ettifaq in the evening’s main game at 8pm. Ahli battle Sadd in the first match at 6pm. Champions Al Ahli and Ittihad go head to head in the tournament’s opening contest at 4pm.
The next night on Saturday, Manama have a rest day while Al Ahli take on Ittihad; then on Monday Manama play Al Rayyan while Al Ahli face off with their namesakes from the UAE.
The final day of the first round will be on Tuesday next week, Manama play Shabab while Al Ahli have a day off.
Strong
Manama head into the championship with a strong line-up consisting of Ahmed Abdulaziz, Mohammed Hussain, Hassan Nowrooz, Mohammed Quwayed, Mohammed Qurban and Ahmed Najaf.
Manama are bolstered by the highly talented pairing of professionals Nikoloz Tskitishvili from Georgia and Kadeem Coleby from the Bahamas.
Al Ahli’s line-up features top players Hussain Shaker, Hesham Sarhan and Sabah Hussain. Their professionals are guard Orien Greene from the US and seven-foot one-inch centre Primoz Brezec from Slovenia.