BASKETBALL – BAHRAIN champions Muharraq were yesterday drawn in a tough group for the preliminary round of the 2025-26 Fiba West Asia Super League (WASL) – the region’s premier clubs basketball tournament under the International Basketball Federation (Fiba).
Muharraq are the kingdom’s lone participants in this year’s competition. They will be competing in the Fiba WASL Gulf sub-zone, which features eight teams.
The draw was held virtually yesterday by Fiba Asia.
Muharraq are slotted into Group A alongside Ittihad Club from Saudi Arabia, Kazma SC from Kuwait, and defending Gulf champions Shabab Al Ahli from the UAE.
Group B features Sharjah SC from the UAE, Kuwait Club from Kuwait, Al Arabi Club from Qatar, and Al Ula SC from Saudi.
The Fiba WASL West Asia sub-zone features six teams. They are last season’s Fiba WASL overall and West Asia champions Al Riyadi Beirut from Lebanon, Gorgan from Iran, BC Astana from Kazakhstsan, Al Difaa Al Jawi SC from Iraq, Segasse SC from Lebanon, and Al Wahda SC from Syria.
This season’s edition of the Fiba WASL is its fourth. Play is scheduled to tip off on October 13. The official schedule has yet to be announced by organisers.
It is the second time that Muharraq are competing in the tournament. They also participated in the 2023-24 edition, where they made it through to the Gulf semi-finals but then lost to Bahraini rivals Manama, who were the first-ever Fiba WASL overall title winners in 2022-23.
Last season, Manama and Al Ahli were the kingdom’s representatives. Manama made it through to the Gulf semi-finals, while Ahli were eliminated by Manama in the qualification for the semis.