BASKETBALL – BAHRAIN’S senior men’s 3x3 basketball national team made a dominant start last night to their campaign in the second Algiers Lite Quest, currently being played in Algeria.
The kingdom’s squad – composed of Bogdan Dragovic, Austin Ajukwa, Uros Ilic, and Elyas Younes – were dominant in their 21-9 victory over home side FASU National Team in their opening Pool C fixture of the competition’s preliminary round.
The nationals are scheduled to return to action tonight in their next game against Tunisia Two as they hope to confirm their berth in the tournament’s quarter-finals.
The Bahrainis are one of 12 teams in this stage. Pool A features the Cameroon national team, Tunisia One, and the under-21 Algerian national team.
Pool B comprises Algerian outfits Bechar and DZ Show along with the Comoros national team, while Pool D includes the Egyptian national team, and Algerian squads Team LABB and Team SS Annaba.
Bahrain were in a class of their own last night against their overmatched opponents. They took a commanding 10-2 lead after a basket from Ilic followed by a two-pointer by Dragovic.
A basket and foul by Ajukwa then gave the nationals a double-digit cushion at 12-2, and he later scored again to make it 15-4.
The nationals cruised the rest of the way, with Ajukwa firing in the winning shot from the baseline that gave them their 21-point target. Should the Bahrainis advance, the elite eight will be held this evening from 9pm, Bahrain time. The semi-finals and final will then follow later in the night.
The Algiers Lite Quest also acts as a qualifier for the Mataro Challenger 2026, to be held in Spain on September 26 and 27, part of this year’s Fiba 3x3 World Tour.
Fiba’s premier street basketball series features tournaments of various levels held around the world.
Masters events are the highest-tier, followed by Challengers – both of which are fed by the qualifiers, which include Super Quest, Quest, and Lite Quest events.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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