Oman fall to Saudi Arabia in Gulf qualifiers

Observer

18 hours ago

MUSCAT: The Oman national U-16 basketball team suffered another defeat in the Gulf qualifiers for the Asian Championship, losing to their Saudi counterparts with a score of 41–88. The match took place last night at the Bahrain Basketball Association court in Um Al Hassam, Bahrain.
Both teams began the match with relative caution, but the Saudi team quickly imposed their fast-paced offensive style, capitalising on several errant passes by the Omani team. Despite efforts from Sidam al Sheezawi and Adam al Hinai to penetrate the defense, defensive errors disrupted the team's rhythm, ending the first quarter with Oman trailing 11–22.
The second quarter saw improved offensive performance from Oman, with more varied shooting attempts from outside the paint and a gradual reduction in the score gap. Al Mulhim al Obaidani stood out with his active movements under the basket, while Adam al Hinai maintained composure in shooting. The first half ended 30–40 in favor of Saudi Arabia.
Oman will conclude their participation with a match against the UAE,
However, Oman entered the second half with a noticeable drop in focus, leading to more intercepted passes and rushed offensive plays. The Saudi players exploited the open spaces with quick counterattacks, significantly widening the score gap. Offensive solutions were absent for Oman, and the quarter ended in a harsh 34–72 deficit.
In the final quarter, passing errors and easy turnovers continued from the Omani players, while the Saudi team maintained physical dominance and strong defensive organisation. The Omani coach tried rotating in several substitutes to spark energy, but the Saudi team continued to control the tempo and increase their scoring tally. The game concluded with a heavy 41–88 loss, Oman's heaviest defeat in the qualifiers so far.
The team hopes to secure a positive result after a series of defeats
On the scoring front, Adam al Hinai led Oman with 13 points, followed by Sidam al Sheezawi and Al Mulhim al Obaidani with 10 points each. For Saudi Arabia, Abdulrahman Adel scored 17 points, Hussain al Majid added 14, and Zaidan Ghadeeb contributed 12 points.
Oman will conclude their participation in the Gulf qualifiers with a match against the UAE, which will determine the last place in the tournament. The team hopes to secure a positive result to restore some pride after a series of defeats.