TENNIS – Bahrain is all set to host the Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Group V tournament this week, to be played at the Bahrain Tennis Federation (BTF) hard courts in Isa Town.
The event will be bringing together 12 nations from across the continent, who will be vying for promotion to Asia/Oceania Group IV next year.
A total of 12 senior men’s squads are set to compete over the next few days in the kingdom.
They include Bangladesh, Brunei, Laos, Macau, the Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Northern Mariana Islands, Tajikistan, the UAE, Yemen, and hosts Bahrain. The kingdom’s side features five players in all.
They will be spearheaded by veterans Yusuf Qaed and Elyas Abduljalil, while up-and-coming young talents Faris Al Toobli, Ahmed Alsayed, and Sergiy Rafiee are also in the fray.
National team head coach Karim Abdulredha confirmed the team’s readiness for their matches ahead, and said that the kingdom is being represented by a strong mix of experience and youth.
Abdulredha added that he is hopeful of a better performance this year over last year’s Davis Cup, also staged in the kingdom when the Bahrainis narrowly missed out on booking their places in the higher tier.
The Bahrainis made it to the last four, but lost to Nepal 0-2. The Nepalese went on to be promoted along with the Philippines, who edged past Northern Mariana Islands 2-1 in the other last four contest.
Qaed, Abduljalil, and Altoobli were also part of the kingdom’s squad in 2024, with Hasan Abdulnabi completing their roster.
All the teams participating in the competition have already arrived in Bahrain. They have begun their final preparations for the start of play with training sessions at the BTF.
The players have shown great enthusiasm in their practices for the tournament, in which two places are available for Asia/Oceania Group IV in 2026.
The draw for this year’s event is scheduled for today. The 12 teams will be divided into four groups.
Following a single round-robin, the top teams in each of the four pools will move on to the semi-finals.
The winners of those two games will earn promotion while the remaining teams will return to Asia/Oceania Group V action next year.
This year’s Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Group IV is part of a series of major international tennis events hosted by the kingdom this month and next.
Bahrain recently held competitions on the ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors and the ITF World Tennis Tour.
Following this week’s action, the kingdom will also stage an ATP Challenger Tour event from November 23 to 29 at the Public Security Officers Club in Gudaibiya.
It will be a category 50 competition featuring top professionals from around the world who will be vying for a share of the $60,000 in total prize money.
The ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors will then be returning with three more events – two J30 tournaments from November 24 to 30 and from December 1 to 8, and then a J60 competition from December 8 to 14.
The Arab Elite Tennis Tournament will then take place from December 17 to 23 at the Public Security Officers Club, and the Arab U16 Tennis Championship will be held from December 18 to 24 at the BTF.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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