3 days ago
Gulf U-16 basketball c'ship important for future talents: Saadoun Al Kuwari
Tribune News Network
Doha
The Gulf Basketball Federation, in collaboration with its counterpart, the Bahrain Basketball Federation, is actively engaged in finalizing preparations for the Gulf U-16 Basketball Championship. This tournament is set to take place in the Kingdom of Bahrain from July 22 to 27, 2025, featuring six participating teams: Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, the Sultanate of Oman, and Kuwait.
The tournament holds significant importance, as both the champion and the runner-up will secure two direct spots in the U-16 Asian Cup Finals, scheduled to occur in Mongolia in September 2025.
In this regard, Saadoun Sabah Al Kuwari, Secretary-General of the Qatar Basketball Federation and Secretary-General of the Gulf Basketball Federation, conveyed his hopes for the success of all teams involved, urging them to showcase the high technical standards that Gulf basketball is known for.
He highlighted the significance of this event, which will grant the champion and runner-up two berths to the Asian Cup Finals, thereby enhancing the technical quality of the tournament and fostering enthusiasm and competition among the teams in the Gulf Championship.
He stated, 'We at the Gulf Basketball Federation, in partnership with the Bahrain Basketball Federation, are committed to organizing an outstanding tournament that reflects the advanced level of the sport in the region.'
He further emphasized: 'We always strive, in cooperation with the Asian Football Confederation, to develop Gulf competitions and enhance the efficiency and quality of teams. Granting two direct spots to the Asian Cup through the Gulf Championship is an international recognition of the development of the youth categories in the Gulf countries and gives national teams a greater incentive to excel and qualify.'
Al Kuwari added: 'Through this tournament, we seek to enhance the readiness of Gulf national team players and achieve our long-term goals of discovering talent, expanding the practice base, and building teams capable of competing on the continent and internationally.'
The tournament draw has resulted in the division of teams into two distinct groups. Group A comprises Qatar, Kuwait, and the UAE, whereas Group B consists of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the Sultanate of Oman.
