BASKETBALL – SAMAHEEJ got off to a sensational start last night in the preliminary stage of round one in the inaugural Bahrain Basketball Association (BBA) 3x3 Men’s League.
The competition is being held at Bahrain Financial Harbour (BFH) in Manama, and it features all the kingdom’s clubs under the BBA’s umbrella.
Samaheej’s two teams won the first three of their assignments yesterday. Their A squad got the tournament underway with a 21-12 victory against Nuwaidrat in Pool B. Samaheej’s B outfit then followed suit, winning back-to-back contests. They first roared past Manama 19-9, and then defeated Sitra 21-16 in Pool A.
In other opening-night fixtures, Al Ahli edged past Bahrain Club 21-17 and Isa Town overcame Al Ettihad 20-14, both in Pool C; while Muharraq beat Al Hala 18-11 in Pool B.
Those games were part of day one of the preliminaries, which continue today at 5pm. That will set the stage for the quarter-finals, also to be held tonight from 7.20pm. The semis and title-decider will then take place on Saturday, on the sidelines of the concluding day of the Manama Final – the season-ending event on the 2025 Fiba 3x3 World Tour.
The all-new BBA 3x3 Men’s Basketball League features six rounds in its inaugural 2025-26 season. It offers $8,000 in total prize money for the top three teams in the campaign’s finale.
This tournament, along with the Manama Final, are part of six straight days of high-intensity 3x3 basketball action at BFH.
Tomorrow and Thursday, the Gulf Basketball Association (GBA) U21 3x3 Championships are set to take place, with the participation of men’s and women’s junior teams from across the GCC.
The BBA announced yesterday the schedule for the GBA event, with games starting from 4pm tomorrow and continuing until around 8pm. The semi-finals and medal matches will then be held Thursday from 5pm.
Bahrain have three teams in the tournament, including two for the men and one for the women. Men’s and women’s squads from Qatar, Kuwait, and Oman are also in the fray.
The highly anticipated Manama Final will then take place Friday and Saturday at BFH, featuring 14 of the best 3x3 teams from around the world, including two representing hosts Bahrain. They are long-time 3x3 powerhouses Riffa and series debutants Seef.
The field will be vying for a share of the total prize purse of more than $200,000.
Riffa are straight into the main draw along with the Serbian trio of Ub, Liman, and Partizan, Amsterdam Rabobank from the Netherlands, Miami from the US, Chongming and Hangzhou from China, Raudondvaris Hoptrans from Lithuania, Toulouse from France, and Vienna from Austria.
Seef, on the other hand, are in the qualifying draw, where they will face Skyliners from Germany and Lugano from Switzerland for just one available berth in the tournament proper.
The qualifiers are to be held on Friday from 10am, with the pool games starting from 3.10pm. The knockout rounds, culminating with the final, will take place on Saturday.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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