BASKETBALL – BAHRAIN representatives Seef are set to make their 2026 season debut on the international 3x3 basketball circuit this weekend, when they compete in the Sofia Open 3x3 Palms Lite Quest in Bulgaria.
The meeting is an elite men’s tournament approved by the International Basketball Federation (Fiba) and is part of the official Road to the World Tour.
It is a Lite Quest event, which is a competition that is too small to be a direct qualifier for a Fiba 3x3 World Tour Masters tournament but awards winning teams a place in a select Challenger meeting.
The Sofia Open 3x3 Palms Lite Quest therefore also acts as a qualification competition for the Caceres Challenger 2026 in Spain, scheduled for July 11 and 12. Only the winners in Sofia will book their slot.
Seef are to hit the half-court in Bulgaria with the quartet of Bogdan Dragovic, Austin Ajukwa, Uros Ilic, and Isa Jasim.
The Bahrainis are part of a massive field of 24 teams representing countries from all over the world.
The other squads are Gargzdai from Lithuania, Meferes vdc Vividbooks from the Czech Republic, Toronto from Canada, Uzice Zlatiborac and Turres from Serbia, Team Athina from Greece, Nitui from Croatia, Sparkasse Bochum and Wiesbaden 3x3 from Germany, KKS Polonia 3x3 and Pale Troje from Poland, Team Estonia from Estonia, Mexico Street Hoopers from Mexico, Dublin and Shamrock 3x3 from Ireland, Root/Jurmala from Latvia, Bucharest Stiinta and Bucharest Stiinta Two from Romania, Electromercantil PBL from Spain, and the quartet of Bgsili, Levski Palms Bet, West Gym and 3x3 Sofia from hosts Bulgaria.
As part of their preparations for this weekend’s action, Seef have departed for Serbia to hold a training camp in the coming days.
Following the Sofia Open 3x3 Palms Lite Quest, the Bahraini outfit will return to Belgrade to prepare for another major Fiba 3x3 competition – the Lion City Challenger 2026, to be held in Singapore on June 20 and 21.
This first-ever tournament will also be a qualifier for the Fiba 3x3 World Tour Lausanne Masters, scheduled for August 14 and 15 in Switzerland. The top three teams will punch their tickets to the meeting, which is the top-tier level of Fiba 3x3 action.
The Fiba 3x3 World Tour is the premier street basketball series under Fiba, with Masters stops being the highest-tier competitions along with lower-level events such as Quest, Super Quest, Challenger, and Lite Quest.
Bahrain had two teams competing in last year’s Fiba 3x3 World Tour, including Seef and Riffa. Dragovic was part of the Seef outfit.
The kingdom has also been involved as a host nation in the past three seasons of the Fiba 3x3 World Tour. In 2023 and 2024, Bahrain hosted the Manama Masters, while in 2025, the island staged the Fiba 3x3 World Tour Final for the very first time.
Later this year, Bahrain will once again be delighting basketball fans with the Manama Masters, scheduled for November 20 and 21. This campaign’s finale will then take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on December 12 and 13.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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