BASKETBALL – DOMINANT Bahrain were last night crowned champions of the 22nd U16 Arab Basketball Championship for Youth, which came to a close in Cairo, Egypt.
The kingdom’s youth basketball national team captured the title following a resounding 81-63 victory over Algeria at Cairo Stadium Indoor Halls Complex.
The Bahrainis took control of the game in the second quarter, outscoring their rivals 26-12 to take a commanding 40-24 lead into the half. They never looked back from there and went ahead by as many as 35 points in the final frame, en route to the big 18-point decision.
Twin towers Somto Patrick Onoduenyi and Hassan Abdulkadir were yet again a force for the nationals. They each finished with double-doubles, with Onoduenyi scoring 18 points and grabbing 21 rebounds and Abdulkadir contributing 11 and 10 boards. They also registered 10 blocked shots between them.
Hussien Fouad added a team-high 24 points off the bench for Bahrain.
Racem Marzougui’s side controlled the tempo all night, pushing the ball at each opportunity, resulting in 48 fast-break points, dwarfing Algeria’s 19.
Following the final, Bahrain received their champions’ trophy and gold medals in an awarding ceremony attended by Arab Basketball Confederation (ABC) officials. Bahrain Basketball Association (BBA) director Abed Al Ansari was on hand.
The Bahrainis and Algerians were joined on the podium by bronze-medallists Tunisia. They claimed third place after beating hosts Egypt 75-71 in their classification clash yesterday.
Bahrain’s triumph last night earned them an undefeated record to wrap up their successful campaign in Cairo. They won all five of their assignments in the preliminary round – including four straight routs against Qatar, Algeria, Kuwait, and Tunisia, which they followed with a single-digit victory against Egypt – on the way to yesterday’s title-decider.
Their Arab title added to their championship in the Fiba U16 Asia Cup Gulf Basketball Association Qualifiers 2025, which they clinched last month at home.
This year’s U16 Arab Basketball Championship for Youth was organised and run by the ABC, in cooperation with the Egyptian Basketball Federation.
In last night’s final, Bahrain had a sluggish start, falling behind 1-7. They eventually found their groove and took a slim 14-12 advantage into the second quarter. There, they trailed once again 17-20, but responded with a game-changing 23-4 run in the six minutes leading up to the interval to take full control of the contest.
They maintained their strong showing after the re-start and extended the gap to 65-41 heading into the fourth period, where an Abdulkadir split at the charity stripe made it 79-44 for their biggest lead of the evening. They then cruised to the final buzzer.
Mohamed Ghuloom also finished in double figures for Bahrain with 13 points. Skipper Aly Hussien added eight while dishing out eight assists.
Abdelkarim Yahiaoui scored 18 to pace Algeria. Mika Ernst added 13 in the losing effort.
Following their Arab campaign, the Bahrainis have no time to rest as they will need to gear up for an even tougher test at the Fiba U16 Asia Cup 2025, to be held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, next month.
His Majesty King Hamad’s representative for humanitarian work and youth affairs and Supreme Council for Youth and Sport (SCYS) chairman Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa congratulated His Majesty and His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, on Bahrain’s triumph.
Shaikh Nasser underscored that the achievement reflects the efforts of SCYS first deputy chairman, General Sports Authority chairman and Bahrain Olympic Committee president Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, adding that the achievement reflects the determination, perseverance, and high potential of Bahraini youth, which qualifies them to reach international stages.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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