Bahrain's Manama are gearing up to fly the kingdom’s flag in the upcoming 37th edition of the Arab Basketball Championship for Men’s Clubs.
The tournament, organised and to be run by the Arab Basketball Confederation (ABC), is scheduled to tip off on Thursday in Dubai, the UAE. It will continue until October 6, and it features 16 of the top basketball teams from across the region.
Manama are the lone squad from the kingdom taking part, and will be looking to become the first-ever squad from Bahrain to capture the Arab clubs crown.
There are three sides from Kuwait, two each from Qatar, Oman, Yemen, Syria, and Lebanon, and one apiece from Libya and hosts UAE.
The Bahrainis have been slotted in Group B for the preliminary round alongside Club Antonin Sportif of Lebanon, Al Ahli Tripoli from Libya, and Kuwait SC from Kuwait. Group A features home club Al Nasr of the UAE, Homs Al Fida from Syria, Al Shaab Hadramaut from Yemen, and Al Qadsia of Kuwait. Group C is composed of Al Arabi of Qatar, Kazma of Kuwait, Al Seeb of Oman, and Al Mina from Yemen. Group D comprises Al Hikma from Lebanon, Al Wahda SC from Syria, Al Basher from Oman, and Al Rayyan of Qatar.
Manama have been conducting intensive preparations for the tournament, which is set to feature plenty of high-level basketball.
Ramadhan watches on during a recent Manama tune-up
They are coached by returning Bahraini tactician Salman Ramadhan, who is a multiple title winner and was in charge of Manama in the past, as well as of Bahrain’s senior men’s basketball national team. Ramadhan was a special adviser to rivals Muharraq last season, but ahead of this campaign, has come back to his former club, where he joins his son Ahmed Salman, who is one of the team’s lead guards.
Other key players in the Manama line-up are national team mainstays Subah Hussain, Ali Jaber, and Mohammed Buallay, along with veterans Hasan Nowrooz and Ahmed Najaf. Manama currently have American Daniel Hamilton as an import.
Their final roster for the Arab championship has yet to be announced.
Manama are scheduled to open their campaign on Thursday against Club Antonin Sportif at 7pm. They then face off with Ahli Tripoli on Saturday at 1pm, before completing their preliminary round campaign against Kuwait on Monday next week at 3pm. All times are Bahrain.
Based on the results of this opening stage, eight match-ups will be determined in an ensuing knockout phase on October 1 and 2, which will involve all 16 clubs.
That will set the stage for the quarter-finals on October 4, followed by the semi-finals the next day and then the gold and bronze medal games on October 6, the competition’s concluding day.
All games are to be played at Dubai’s Sheikh Rashid Bin Hamdan Indoor Hall.
The last time a kingdom’s club participated in the tournament was in its 35th edition in 2022, held in Kuwait, when Bahrain’s Ahli took part and made it to the round of 16.
Last year, Bahrain national team star Mustafa Hussain helped guide Qatari outfit Al Arabi secure the crown. He was named the Most Valuable Player of the 12-team competition, which took place in Cairo, Egypt.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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