Eyes on the Arab Crown

Daily Tribune

2 days ago

TDT | Manama
Fresh off a bronze medal in Taiwan, Bahrain's basketball stars return home hungry for the Arab Championship
Bahrain's national basketball team is back on home soil tonight, carrying momentum and confidence into a tournament they're determined to win.
The nationals will open their campaign in the 26th Arab Basketball Championship with a primetime clash against Qatar at 8 PM inside Isa Town's Khalifa Sports Hall. The matchup headlines the tournament's opening day, which also features Tunisia vs Algeria at 4 PM and Kuwait vs UAE at 6 PM. Egypt will sit out the first round with a scheduled rest.
This year's edition, the first ever to be held in Bahrain, follows a single round-robin format. All seven teams — Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, UAE, Egypt, Algeria, and Tunisia — will face one another once. The team with the most points at the end will be crowned champion.
Momentum from Taiwan
Bahrain enters the tournament riding a wave of confidence after their bronze medal at the 44th William Jones Cup in Taiwan. This is a headline feat as it stands as the best-ever finish by an Arab team in the event's long history.
'It wasn't easy, but we showed we belong at that level,' said forward Mohammed Hamoda, reflecting on the 6–2 campaign that included wins over teams from Japan, Australia, Chinese Taipei, and the UAE. 'For us, that was more than a podium finish. It was preparation and a signal that we're moving in the right direction.'
Bahrain's only two defeats came against host Chinese Taipei and reigning champions the Philippines, who ultimately retained their title.
Both games were played without several key starters, yet the team still managed to finish third, with Hamoda crediting the staff and players for pushing through tough conditions.'We gained so much from that experience,' he added. 'Now, the Arab Championship is here. We've won the Gulf Championship already but this, this is the one we want next. Step by step, we'll be ready.'
Proud, But Not Satisfied
Guard Mohammed Bu Ali echoed that sentiment, calling the third-place finish in Taiwan both 'historic and unfinished business.'
'Our ambition was to take gold there,' he said. 'But the level of competition was world-class. We didn't have all our stars in the last two games, and that made a difference, but even so, third place was something no Arab team has done before.'
Bu Ali sees the William Jones Cup experience as fuel, saying, 'Now we bring that same energy home. We want to honor our country, our fans, and our region. The Arab Championship, to me, means even more than the Gulf title we won. And we're not done yet.'
He smiled, adding: 'And we know the fans don't need an invitation. They'll be there. They always are.'
Focused on the Finish
Ahmed Salman kept his message short but sharp.
'We're ready,' he said. 'We're playing at home, we know what's expected. The ambition, as always, is to finish with the cup.' Bahrain's players sent a clear message that hosting alone won't satisfy them. They are here to win the championship.
Head coach Georgios Vovoras will now look to fine-tune a squad that has both depth and chemistry — two assets that were sharpened during the team's time in Taiwan. Tournament Director Mohammed Ahmed confirmed all logistics are complete and delegations have been arriving throughout the week.
Tournament Schedule
Bahrain's group-stage fixtures are all set for 8 PM tip-offs:
- Tonight vs Qatar
- July 26 vs UAE
- July 27 vs Tunisia
- July 29 vs Egypt
- August 1 vs Algeria
- August 2 vs Kuwait
All teams will rest on July 28 and July 31, with final standings determined by total points (2 for a win, 1 for a loss).