BASKETBALL – Bahrain representatives Riffa are set to play in the Brasilia Challenger 2025 in Brazil this weekend, part of the Fiba 3x3 World Tour 2025.
Riffa are one of 12 teams from around the world set to feature in the competition’s preliminary round. The event acts as a qualifier for the higher-tier Shenzhen Masters in China, which is scheduled for October 4 and 5.
Winners will also come away with $20,000 in prize money, while the runners-up will pocket $15,000 and third place will get $11,000. Fourth and fifth will take home $8,000 and $6,000, respectively.
Riffa are set to play in the tournament with a quartet of Belgians Dennis Donkor, Jonas Foerts, and Vic van Oosterwyck, along with Serbian Milos Antic.
The Bahraini outfit are set to compete in Pool C for the opening phase along with Lausanne of Switzerland and one of two teams that will secure a place from the qualifying draw.
Pool A features Amsterdam Rabobank from the Netherlands, Marbella from Spain, and Uberlandia from Brazil; Pool B is composed of Raudondvaris Hoptrans of Lithuania, Barcelona from Spain, and Bahia Reals from Brazil; and Pool D includes Partizan from Serbia, London from the US, and the second qualifier.
Six sides are in qualification, divided into two pools. Qualifying draw A features Puente Alto of Chile, and Santos and Diadema from Brazil; while qualifying draw B is composed of Waterloo from Canada, Sao Paulo DC from Brazil, and Brooklyn from the US.
Riffa play their two preliminary round games tomorrow. They first take to the half-court against the qualifying side at 8.05pm before taking on Lausanne at 9.55pm, both Bahrain time.
Should they advance to the knockouts, the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final will all be held on Sunday.
Riffa are coming off a strong showing last weekend in the Sansar Challenger, played in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
They finished third on the event’s final ranking and earned a qualification spot for the Shanghai Masters in China, slated for September 27 and 28.
They are to join event winners Partizan and Miami from the US as the teams that made it through.
The Fiba 3x3 World Tour is the premier street basketball series under the International Basketball Federation (Fiba), which holds events around the world with participating teams representing cities.
Masters events are the top-tier level of competition.
They have already taken place in Japan, China, the Netherlands, France, Austria, and Mongolia, Hong Kong, Canada, Switzerland, and Hungary, with remaining events in China, Macau, and the UAE before heading to Bahrain.
The kingdom’s stop marks the 2025 season-finale, scheduled for November 21 and 22.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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