BAHRAIN Basketball Association (BBA) and Zain Bahrain yesterday marked the 10th anniversary of their successful collaboration in promoting basketball in Bahrain by unveiling a new logo and new plans for the upcoming season.
BBA president Shaikh Isa bin Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa and Zain Bahrain general manager Mohammed Zainalabedin were present at the event at Bahrain Basketball Arena in Um-ul-Hassam.
The logo is inspired by Zain’s values of ‘Radiance’, ‘Heart’, and ‘Belonging’, and it coincides with Zain Bahrain’s annual support for the league which is aimed at developing the sport in the Kingdom, said Zain in a press release.
Shaikh Isa bin Ali praised Zain Bahrain for their sponsorship and support over the years.
“Basketball is today one of the most popular sports in Bahrain. A lot of this is due to Zain Bahrain’s unwavering support over the last nine years, and as we enter the 10th year of this highly successful partnership, we now unveil a new identity for our national basketball league.”
The BBA president also announced new upgrades in the basketball arena in Um-ul-Hassam which is underway in cooperation with Youth and Sports Affairs Ministry.
From this season, BBA will be naming a best player, best scorer, best three-point player and best coach. A committee has been formed, headed by technical committee chairman at BBA Ali Al Khaja, to declare the winners of these awards at the end of the season, added Shaikh Isa bin Ali.
“We will also be sending four to five youngsters from local clubs to Europe as part of our development plan to help those talented players to improve their skills and gain experience.
“Additionally, a schools basketball league will be launched in cooperation with Youth and Sports Ministry and Education Ministry. This will help us discover new talent, both boys and girls.”
On behalf of Zain, Zainalabedin said: “We are pleased to be able to make a more significant contribution to the league this year. Our partnership has always been mutually beneficial, as basketball’s popularity has been steadily increasing in Bahrain, largely due to the great work that the association has been doing over the years.
“We look forward to further developing this partnership in the future in order to help Bahrain produce even stronger players, both male and female, who are able to compete on the world stage.”