BASKETBALL – BAHRAIN has been praised for its “quality” delivery of three major events this year under the International Basketball Federation (Fiba), culminating with the Manama Final held over the weekend – the thrilling final round of the Fiba 3x3 World Tour 2025.
The kingdom had the honour of hosting – for the first time ever – the Fiba Mid-Term Congress 2025 and Fiba Hall of Fame Class of 2025 induction ceremony last May, followed by the biggest 3x3 spectacle of the season, which took place over a packed and rocking crowd on Friday and Saturday.
Fiba secretary general Andreas Zagklis was in attendance on all three occasions, and he lauded Bahrain for its outstanding organisation each time.
“We had two very high-level experiences on the institutional side with the Mid-Term Congress and the Hall of Fame, and now, with the pinnacle of our 3x3 season, we have seen first-hand – and Fiba can be an excellent witness to this – the capacity that Bahrain has to deliver events within the sports community of a global magnitude, and of global quality,” Zagklis told the GDN in an exclusive interview after the conclusion of the Manama Final, held at a special, purpose-built venue at Bahrain Financial Harbour in Manama.
“I think the title for this weekend was ‘Manama Energy’,” Zagklis highlighted, referring to the large turnout of fans and the vibrant atmosphere they created on both nights. “This was a fantastic conclusion to the World Tour season, and we are grateful to Bahrain for the hosting.
“We are thankful to our players for offering such a show to the global community, and especially to such a great crowd here in Manama. We are very grateful, and we are leaving Manama with a big smile on our face.”
Zagklis expressed his delight with the tremendous growth of the 3x3 game around the world, and credited Bahrain Olympic Committee vice-president Shaikh Isa bin Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa for his contributions to this development, describing Shaikh Isa as “a big basketball fan and an expert” on the game.
“I want to thank His Highness Shaikh Isa, who is a big basketball fan and an expert, who joined us on this journey with 3x3 a few years ago and sold to other countries as well that investing in 3x3 is really worth it,” Zagklis said.
“The 3x3 game is booming, and it is thanks to the collective effort of the 3x3 basketball community that the quota for the LA 2028 Olympics has been increased – there is now the chance to have 12 countries take part, and we consider this to be a major development for the pathway of players.
“That is where I see the future – and with the Fiba 3x3 Youth Nations League, which we had this year with a record number of countries of more than 90 from around the world participating.
“I must say that we are very happy with the development of 3x3 and Fiba will continue to invest and continue to bring 3x3 to every corner of the world.”
The rapid rise of 3x3 basketball has also been greatly evident in the kingdom. Aside from hosting the Fiba 3x3 World Tour for the third successive year – and for the first time the season’s curtain-closing event – two teams represented the kingdom this World Tour campaign, including long-time 3x3 powerhouses Riffa and series debutants Seef, who became the first all-Bahraini squad to compete at this level.
Furthermore, the Bahrain Basketball Association has launched its first-ever 3x3 league, while the kingdom’s national teams won the silver medal at the third Asian Youth Games in October, along with the men’s and women’s gold medals in the Gulf Basketball Association 3x3 U21 Championships last week.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
&uuid=(email))