BASKETBALL – ARAB champions Bahrain punched their ticket last night to the Fiba U18 Asia Cup 2026 – the continent’s premier youth men’s basketball tournament.
The kingdom’s squad secured their spot after routing Oman 94-49 in their penultimate outing of the Gulf Basketball Association (GBA) U18 Championship 2026, currently being played in Doha, Qatar.
The event also acts as a qualifier for this year’s Fiba U18 Asia Cup, to be played in Ahmedabad, India from August 13 to 23, with only the GBA champions and runners-up marching through.
The Bahrainis ensured themselves of that top-two ranking with their third straight victory yesterday, following their 62-54 triumph against Saudi Arabia and their 106-51 thrashing of Kuwait.
The nationals still have one fixture remaining at the Qatari capital. It will be on the tournament’s concluding day on Thursday against the hosts, who are also unbeaten after their two games so far. That contest is expected to decide the GBA title battle.
Bahrain led from start to finish in their dominant performance last night against Oman, where they enjoyed leads as big as 47 points.
Somto Patrick Onoduenyi, who was recently crowned Most Valuable Player in Bahrain’s title-winning run at the 23rd Arab Youth Men’s Basketball Championship 2026, led five players in double figures with 19 points and 15 rebounds in just under 25 minutes of action.
Guards Mohamed Adel Abdulla and Yousif Yaqoob Meshaei chipped in with 14 points apiece while also dishing out seven and five assists, respectively.
The Bahrainis led 22-12 after the opening period and then built a commanding advantage in the second, when they erupted for 30 points while holding the Omanis to just 10 for a 52-22 cushion at the break.
The nationals continued to pile on the pressure after the re-start, clamping down defensively to hold Oman to just nine points in the entire third quarter to head into the final frame up 77-31.
They cruised to the finish from there, going up by 47 twice – first on a Hassan Abdulkadir basket that made it 83-36 and later following an Ali Ayman Hamza floater that pushed them 94-47 in front.
Abdulkadir contributed 13 points for Bahrain in limited playing time while Mohamed Mahmood Farhan added 11.
Mshal Munem Qafqaf paced the Omanis with 11 but was their only player in double digits.
With Bahrain confirming their spot in this year’s Fiba U18 Asia Cup, 15 of the 16 slots are filled.
The nationals join defending champions Australia, China, Chinese Taipei, India, Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Lebanon, New Zealand, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Syria, and Thailand.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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