BASKETBALL – BAHRAIN’S under-23 3x3 basketball women’s national team impressed for a second straight day yesterday in the Asia West/Pacific conference of the Fiba 3x3 Youth Nations League 2026, currently being played in Singapore.
The kingdom’s squad, featuring the quartet of Bayan Salman, Ninel Merkotun, Polina Sviatskaya, and JaMya Robinson, were runners-up in the series’ second stop, claiming the same position from the opening day of action on Thursday.
The Bahrainis were dominant in their two preliminary round contests yesterday against Qatar and Saudi Arabia, but then ran into continental powerhouses Australia in the final for the second successive day. The nationals came away with another 80 points for their conference standings.
Action in Singapore continues today with stop three of six. Following a rest day tomorrow, play will resume on Monday and will be held until the completion of the series on Wednesday.
Teams earn points in each of the six stops as they continue their qualification bids for the Fiba 3x3 U23 World Cup, which is to be held in Hubei, China, from September 15 to 19.
Also competing yesterday in Singapore were Bahrain’s under-23 3x3 basketball men’s national team, who finished fourth for the second consecutive stop.
The Bahrainis split their two fixtures in the preliminaries, beating Qatar but then losing to Saudi, as they came just short of advancing to their final.
Their squad that took to the half-court yesterday included Elyas Younes, Naser Alanzoor, Mishal Buhamood, Hamad Faisal. They collected 60 points for their conference standings.
In yesterday’s women’s tournament, Bahrain got their Pool A campaign off with a resounding 21-4 rout of Qatar. Merkotun led the team with nine points, while Sviatskaya added six, Salman had four, and Robinson finished with two points.
The Bahrainis were then just as outstanding in their next game, where they defeated Saudi with a similar 21-4 score. Salman was their top gun this time, firing in nine points. Sviatskaya chipped in with six, Robinson had four, and Merkotun scored two.
Bahrain’s women then faced off with Australia in the final, where they lost 6-21. Robinson and Sviatskaya had three points apiece in the defeat.
On the distaff, the men’s team got their Pool A schedule underway with a fine 14-8 triumph against Qatar. Alanzoor, Buhamood, and Faisal scored four points apiece, while Younes had two.
The nationals then came agonisingly close to another victory – which would have earned them a berth in the final – but fell to a narrow 16-19 loss to Saudi. Younes had a game-high nine markers, while Faisal contributed four points and Alanzoor had three.
Saudi went on to face Australia in the men’s final, with the Aussies taking the win 20-10.
In today’s third stop in the Asia West/Pacific conference of the Fiba 3x3 Youth Nations League 2026, Bahrain’s women will play in Pool B of the preliminary round with Australia and Qatar, while the men will be in Pool A of their event with Australia and Singapore.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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