BASKETBALL – Bahrain begin their campaign today in the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, with the senior men’s basketball national team hitting the hardwood in the men’s five-on-five basketball tournament.
The Bahrainis are set to lock horns with the continent’s juggernauts in their 12-nation competition, beginning today with their opening fixture against defending Asiad champions the Philippines.
The Group C contest is scheduled for a 7am tip-off, Bahrain time, and it will be played at the 15,000-capacity Aichi International Arena.
China and Kazakhstan face off in the other divisional clash, scheduled for a 4am start, also Bahrain time.
The Bahrainis are coached by Greek-Slovenian tactician Slobodan Subotic, who conducted their first training session yesterday after reaching Japan.
Bahrain have a reinforced 12-player squad in their bid for an historic maiden Asiad medal in men’s five-on-five basketball.
Nine members were part of their line-up that swept through their Group A campaign in the first round of pre-qualifying for the Fiba Asia Cup 2029, which concluded less than a fortnight ago in Dubai, the UAE.
They include Mustafa Hussain, Ahmed Salman, Ahmed Alderazi, Ahmed Bindayneh, Ali Hussain, Ali Jaber, Mohammed Juma’a, Mohammed Buallay, and JaKarr Sampson.
Three players have been added to bolster Bahrain’s bid, namely big men Uros Ilic and Elijah Thomas and high-scoring guard-forward Austin Ajukwa.
The men’s five-on-five basketball competition got underway yesterday – marking the first official action of this year’s Asian Games – with clashes in the two other pools.
South Korea outclassed Saudi Arabia 82-66 and hosts Japan routed Indonesia 98-54 in Group A, while Qatar edged past Iran 59-53 and Chinese Taipei squeezed by Jordan 83-80 in Group B.
Following Bahrain’s first assignment today, they next take on China tomorrow at 10am, before facing Kazakhstan on Monday at 4pm. Both times are Bahrain.
At the end of a single round-robin, the top two teams from each pool plus the two best second-placers will advance to the quarter-finals, scheduled for Wednesday next week.
The semi-finals will then take place next Friday, setting the stage for the gold and bronze medal games on September 20.
Bahrain’s senior men’s cagers are amongst 11,000 athletes, both men and women, flying the flags of the Olympic Council of Asia’s (OCA) 45 member nations.
They are vying for the podium in 469 medal events across 43 sports.
Bahrain are participating for the 14th time in the quadrennial OCA spectacle.
The kingdom first took part in 1974 and have been going for gold in each edition since.
Amongst the other sports the kingdom’s delegation are competing in are athletics, handball, swimming, weightlifting, judo, cycling, shooting, wrestling, taekwondo, jiu-jitsu, badminton, and esports.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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