BASKETBALL – BAHRAIN had mixed results yesterday on the opening day of the qualifying draws for the Fiba 3x3 Asia Cup 2025, currently being held in Singapore.
The kingdom’s men’s team won one of their first two games to stay in contention for a place in the tournament proper, while the Bahraini women’s team lost both their fixtures, bringing their campaign to an abrupt end.
The men’s squad is made up of Nasser Al Mosawi, Hassan Fahad, Sayed Mohammed Hameed, and Sadeq Shukrallah.
They first suffered a heavy 7-21 loss to Hong Kong, but then eked out a narrow 20-19 win against Malaysia. Hameed made the game-clinching basket with 16 seconds remaining and the nationals held on from there.
The men’s team will now be looking to continue their winning ways when they face Guam and Indonesia today in their remaining Group A fixtures in qualification.
They are currently tied with Guam and Malaysia with 1-1 win-loss records, with Hong Kong in first place in their pool after going unbeaten in their first two games. Indonesia lost both their assignments yesterday.
Bahrain’s men’s team are coached by Serbian Bogdan Dragovic. There are three other groups in men’s qualifying. Group B features the Philippines, South Korea, India, and Macau; Group C is composed of Kazakhstan, Iran, the Maldives, and Papua New Guinea; and Group D comprises Thailand, Turkmenistan, Vietnam, and New Caledonia.
Meanwhile, the women’s squad features Bayan Salman, Hessa Al Jaber, Shereen Abdulrahman, and Mariam Hassan.
They began their qualifying bid with a tough 12-17 loss to their Malaysian counterparts, but were then outclassed by South Korea in a 5-21 game. Their two defeats put them in last place in Group A and have now missed out on the main women’s draw.
Bahrain’s women are guided by Bahraini tactician Murtada Mohamed.
Group B in qualifying features Chinese Taipei, India, Hong Kong, and Guam; Group C includes Kazakhstan, Iran, Vietnam, and the Maldives; and Group D is composed of Indonesia, Turkmenistan, Macau, and Papua New Guinea.
Only the top teams in each of the qualification pools, for both the men and women, advance to the main tournament.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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