BASKETBALL – Bahrain's senior men’s basketball national team have risen to its best-ever placing in the latest edition of the Fiba World Ranking for Men, published by the International Basketball Federation (Fiba), the sport’s governing body.
Bahrain improved one position to 66th in the world and 11th in Asia.
This progress highlights the Bahrainis’ strong performances in recent competitions, which have boosted its classification.
The team is now preparing for the final qualifying tournament for the Fiba Asia Cup 2025, in which they will be playing alongside Iraq and India.
Bahraini basketball has witnessed remarkable growth in recent years, with the support of Supreme Council for Youth and Sports first deputy chairman, General Sports Authority chairman, and Bahrain Olympic Committee president Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa.
The team delivered strong performances against higher-ranked opponents in their recent continental qualifiers, earning valuable ranking points. Now on the verge of breaking into Asia’s top 10, they remain motivated to achieve further success.
Bahrain Basketball Association president Alaa Mudara commended this accomplishment, noting that the advancement reflects the significant efforts of the players, coaching staff, and management.
He emphasised that this ranking in Fiba’s men’s classification serves as a major morale boost for the national team and highlighted the attention and support provided by Shaikh Khalid to the sport.
The upcoming final qualifying tournament will be hosted by Bahrain from March 21 to 23. The nationals are in the West Asian event. There will be another final qualifying tournament for East Asia, and it includes Chinese Taipei, Guam, and Thailand.
From the six teams, only the top two from each region, following a single round-robin in both competitions, will secure their places in this year’s Fiba Asia Cup, set to take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in August.
A total of 16 teams from Asia and Oceania are set to compete in Jeddah. Australia, Lebanon, and Jordan, who were the top three teams of the last Fiba Asia Cup in 2022, finished the qualifiers unbeaten after sweeping all six of their games. They are joined by China, Iran, South Korea, New Zealand, the Philippines, Qatar, Syria, and the host Saudis as the 12 nations that have already secured their places.
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