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Daily Tribune
4 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Tribune
Sampson's Spark Ignites Bahrain's Arab Championship Opener
TDT | Manama The 26th Men's Arab Basketball Championship tipped off yesterday at Khalifa Sports City Arena, with hosts Bahrain stepping confidently into the spotlight following Tunisia's last-minute withdrawal as organisers. Coached by Greek veteran Georgios Vovoras, Bahrain brought back all 12 players who secured bronze at the William Jones Cup just days ago. Among them were Mustafa Hussain, Ahmed Salman, and Wayne Chism, now joined by teenage standouts Hassan Abdulkadir and Somto Onoduenyi—the U16 heroes from Bahrain's recent Gulf title run. Bahrain controlled the early tempo in their opener, jumping out to a 14-6 lead in the first quarter. Qatar edged the second (18-17), but Bahrain regained control in the third (19-13) before holding off a late push in the fourth (22-24) to close out a 72-61 win. JaKarr Sampson's 26 points and Hussain's 13 rebounds led the way, while Qatar's Djan Janik kept it competitive with 22 points and 11 rebounds in a strong individual performance.'It's very important to get the first win because it gives us the motivation for the rest of the tournament,' said Mustafa Hussain post-match. 'Alhamdulilah for this result. It's a big step in gathering the points we need.' Ahmed Salman echoed that urgency while already looking ahead to tonight's clash with UAE. 'They're a big team,' he said. 'We've played them three times recently, but always without Qais Al Shabibi, and mashAllah, he is a team on his own. We need to prepare well. This win is only the beginning.' Algeria and UAE Impress Elsewhere, Algeria stunned Tunisia 86-81 in the tournament's curtain-raiser. A scorching 30-12 second quarter gave Algeria the cushion they needed, despite a late Tunisian charge. Sedoud Chakib led the way with 21 points, supported by Briki Soufiane (14 pts), while Omar Abada was Tunisia's top scorer with 13. In the second matchup, UAE beat Kuwait 87-79, led by a standout performance from Qais Al Shabibi who finished with 26 points and 14 assists. Demarco Dickerson added 24. Kuwait's Mohamed Adnan Hasan kept his team close with 23 points, but couldn't prevent defeat. The format offers no room for error—just a single round-robin league, with the best record crowned champions on August 2. Every game is played at Khalifa Sports City Arena, with free entry making this a true festival of Arab basketball. Next up today Kuwait face Tunisia at 4PM, Egypt begin their title defence against Qatar at 6PM, and Bahrain return to the court at 8PM in a must-watch clash with the high-flying UAE.
Qatar Tribune
21-07-2025
- Sport
- Qatar Tribune
Qatar to kick off campaign against hosts Bahrain at Arab Basketball Championship
Tribune News Network Doha The draw for the 26th Arab Men's Basketball Championship - to be hosted by the Kingdom of Bahrain from July 25 to August 2 - has set the stage for an exciting tournament. The opening match will feature Qatar's reserve national team facing off against Bahrain at 8pm on Friday at Khalifa Sports City Arena. The championship will follow a single-round robin format with seven participating Arab teams: Qatar, Bahrain, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, the UAE, and Kuwait. The team topping the standings at the end of the tournament, which traces its origins to 1974, will claim the title. Qatar's reserve team will follow a packed schedule after their opener against Bahrain. On Saturday they will take on Egypt followed by a rest day on Sunday. The team will on Tuesday play against Algeria, and faces the UAE on Wednesday. Qatar will play Kuwait on Friday, August 1, before concluding their campaign against Tunisia on Saturday. The draw ceremony was conducted virtually via Zoom on Monday and was attended by representatives of the participating national federations. Saadoun Sabah Al Kuwari, General Secretary of the Qatar Basketball Federation and Director of National Teams, expressed optimism about the team's performance. He emphasized that the tournament is a critical step in the development of Qatar's young players, aligning with a strategic plan to enhance their skills through high-level competition. 'This championship is a vital opportunity to nurture our young talent,' Al Kuwari said. 'We have strong confidence in our squad, and our goal is to deliver a performance that reflects the progress of Qatari basketball, building on the valuable experience gained at the William Jones Cup.' Qatar's reserve team recently competed in the 44th William Jones International Basketball Tournament in Chinese Taipei, where they faced formidable opponents, including Japan, Australia, Bahrain, the UAE, Malaysia, Chinese Taipei A and B, and the Philippines' strong group. The tournament provided Qatar with crucial international exposure and preparation. The Qatari squad comprises 13 players: Abdullah Yassin, Owen Ikena Amah, Raslan Rashid Al Abdulla, Mubarak Rashid Jama, Mohammed Saeed Badri, Osama Abdelnasser, Tamim Abu Issa, Azzam Mohammed, Mohammed Ahmed, Mahmoud Deeb, Issa Alert, Hamza Al Attar, and Dijan Janic. The team is guided by a coaching staff focused on building a youthful, competitive lineup for the future. Participating delegations will begin arriving in Bahrain on Tuesday, led by the Arab Basketball Federation's leadership, including Secretary-General Major General Abdullah Shalabi. Bahrain secured hosting rights for this edition after Tunisia withdrew, marking the kingdom's first time hosting the Arab championship in its over five-decade history. Extensive logistical and technical preparations are underway to ensure a successful tournament.
GMA Network
19-07-2025
- Sport
- GMA Network
Strong Group clinches back-to-back Jones Cup titles with rout of Bahrain ahead of final game vs UAE
Strong Group-Philippines dominated the second half to turn a close contest into a 92-68 rout of Bahrain in their virtual title clash at the 2025 William Jones Cup on Saturday in Taiwan. Andre Roberson led the way with a double-double outing of 25 points and 14 rebounds laced with three assists, two steals, and one block while Tajuan Agee posted 19 markers, eight boards, two dimes, one steal, and block as they soared to a 7-0 card. With that win-loss record, the Philippine representative is already assured of finishing at the top spot as Bahrain fell to a 6-2 slate. The campaign, however, isn't done yet for Strong Group as it will still take on the winless UAE on Sunday in bid to complete a title sweep. Against Bahrain, Strong Group showed no signs of slowing down as they turned a slim 54-43 halftime lead to a 60-49 cushion early in the third before Bahrain slowly found their groove and cut the deficit to six, 64-58. But Javi Gomez de Liaño, who was scoreless through the first two quarters, caught fire and buried nine of his overall points as part of an 11-6 run that stretched Strong Group's lead to 11 again, 75-64. Roberson delivered the finishing blow in the fourth quarter, cleaning up Kiefer Ravena's missed three before throwing down a powerful two-handed slam in transition, pushing SGA's lead to 86-64. Gomez de Liaño then knocked down another three-pointer that proved to be the dagger as SGA maintained their immaculate run so far. Gomez de Liaño led the local support with 12 points together with seven rebounds and two steals while Rhenz Abando chipped in 11 markers. —JKC, GMA Integrated News
Daily Tribune
19-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Tribune
Bahrain hit a wall in Chinese Taipei
TDT | Manama For six games, Bahrain rode a wave of momentum, dispatching every opponent in their path with an ease that belied their 47-year absence from the William Jones Cup. But yesterday night in New Taipei City, the home team had other plans. Chinese Taipei delivered a masterclass in execution, ending Bahrain's unbeaten run with a resounding 93–50 win — a statement performance that showed exactly why they were considered Bahrain's toughest challenge heading into the tournament. Early Blitz Breaks the Game Open From the opening tip, Taipei were locked in. They raced out to a 31–18 first-quarter lead, then tightened the screws with a 29– 12 second quarter. By halftime, it was 60–30, and Bahrain never got close again. Where Chinese Taipei moved the ball crisply and shot with confidence, Bahrain were static, hesitant, and out of sync. Shooting Slump Sinks Bahrain Chinese Taipei shot a red-hot 45.9% from three (17 made), while Bahrain managed just 31.3% from the field and 9-of-38 from deep. The usually reliable outside shooting that had powered Bahrain's earlier wins disappeared under pressure. Turnovers (17 in total) and poor ball movement limited scoring chances. Only Devon Chism found any real rhythm, finishing with 13 points and 9 rebounds on 5-of-9 shooting. Ali Rashed added 9 points and 6 boards, and Mohamed Buallay chipped in 7. But Bahrain's offense never truly fired. Chinese Depth Stands Out Taipei, meanwhile, showed their full offensive arsenal. He Dan led all scorers with 19 points, knocking down five threes on six attempts, while Chen YingChun added 14 points and 5 assists in a brilliant performance. Taipei dominated on the boards, outrebounding Bahrain 52–35, including 15 offensive rebounds, and finished with 22 assists as they ran Bahrain's defense ragged. Defending Champions Await The loss drops Bahrain to 6–1, but there's no time to dwell. They return to the court at 10 AM today against Philippines' Strong Group Athletics, the defending champions and another powerhouse in this year's field. This will be Bahrain's final match of the tournament. Strong Group are coming off an amazing 106– 98 win over Malaysia, which is the highest-scoring game of the tournament so far. It's a tough turnaround, both mentally and physically, but also a chance to show they can bounce back.
GMA Network
16-07-2025
- Sport
- GMA Network
Kiefer Ravena returns as Strong Group dominates Australia for 4-0 start
Kiefer Ravena made an immediate impact in his first game back for Strong Group-Philippines as they dominated Australia, 91-75, to remain immaculate at the 2025 William Jones Cup on Wednesday. Ravena, who missed the first three games to attend to other commitments, provided the spark in the fourth quarter as the Philippine squad improved to 4-0 in their title defense bid. Australia dropped to a 2-3 car despite getting huge lift from Filipino-Australian baller James Spencer and Mac Stodart. Spencer, who played for the University of the Philippines in the UAAP, made crucial baskets in the fourth quarter, including a three-pointer that sliced their deficit to 11, 65-76. But Ravena spoiled Australia's comeback bid, burying two consecutive triples of his own to make it an 84-67 cushion before Javi Gomez de Liaño sealed the victory with a long bomb from the corner. Andre Roberson was the usual suspect as he finished with a double-double of 16 points and 12 rebounds together with six assists and a steal while Ian Miller and Tajuan Agee each chipped in 12 markers. Ravena marked his return with nine points as Dave Ildefonsos chimed in with 10 markers. Stodart and Spencer paced Australia with the forer collecting 19 points, five rebounds, two assists, three steals, and one block while the latter scattered 11 markers, six boards, and five dimes. Strong Group will look to bag its fifth win in a row on Thursday, when it slugs it out against home bet Chinese Taipei White at 5 p.m. —JKC, GMA Integrated News
