Bahrain win men’s, Saudi take women’s 3x3 titles

MUSCAT, NOV 30
Photo – Ammar al Musafir
Bahrain clinched the men’s title at the Gulf 3x3 Basketball Championship after a deserved 21–16 victory over Qatar, while the Saudi women’s team captured their title with a 20–17 win over Bahrain. The tournament, hosted by the Oman Basketball Association (OBA) at Al Mouj Muscat, concluded with the finals and awarding ceremony held under the auspices of HH Sayyid Mohammed bin Thuwaini bin Shihab al Said, in the presence of Gulf federation presidents, team representatives and a large attending crowd.
HH Sayyid Mohammed bin Thuwaini crowned the winning teams. Bahrain won the men’s gold medal and the championship trophy, Qatar secured the silver medal, and Saudi Arabia earned the bronze. Bahrain’s Bogdan Dragovic also received the Best Player Award.
In the women’s category, Saudi Arabia took the gold medal, Bahrain secured silver, and Kuwait claimed bronze. Qatar’s Mona Sulaiman was named Best Player of the women’s competition.

BAHRAIN OVERCOME QATAR TO SNATCH THE MEN'S TITLE
The men’s final delivered high drama as Bahrain opened the scoring through Bogdan Dragovic, before Qatar responded quickly via Nedim Muslic. Both teams swapped leads early on, but Bahrain gained control as the match entered its final phase. Milos Supica widened the gap to 12–8, though Qatar managed to level the score at 15–15.
In the decisive moments, Bahrain pulled ahead through Bogdan and Mohammed Hassan, who added crucial points to reach 20–16, before sealing the victory 21–16.

SAUDI ARABIA DEFEAT KUWAIT FOR THIRD PLACE
Saudi Arabia secured the men’s bronze medal after a 21–14 win over Kuwait. Rayed opened with a three-pointer, followed by scoring contributions from Hani Mohammed that extended the lead to 9–3. Despite Kuwait’s late push, Saudi Arabia sealed the match with a final basket from Hazem.
SAUDI ARABIA EDGE BAHRAIN IN THE WOMEN’S FINAL
The Saudi women dominated the early stages with scoring from Kawthar al Khayyat and precise shooting from Rand Khaled. Jana Salman and Al Jawhara Mohammed played key roles in creating scoring opportunities.
Bahrain attempted to stay in contention through Aya Kamal, Maryam al Owais, and Bayan Salman, but Saudi Arabia maintained composure in the closing moments and secured a well-earned 20–17 victory.

WOMEN’S THIRD PLACE KUWAIT BEAT QATAR
Kuwait’s women’s team earned an important 11–7 win over Qatar. Kuwait started strongly before Qatar equalised through Nazeeha Al Agha. As the match progressed, Kuwait’s Sheikha Abdullah and Munira al Rahaili proved decisive, gradually extending the lead and securing the victory despite Qatar’s late attempts to respond.
Eng Khalfan bin Saleh al Naabi, President of the OBA, expressed his delight with the high technical level of the championship and congratulated Bahrain and Saudi Arabia on their titles. He praised the excellent organisation and noted the satisfaction expressed by all participating teams, highlighting the strong fan presence and the vibrant atmosphere at Al Mouj Muscat.
Al Naabi also pointed to the noticeable improvement in the performance of Oman’s national teams, crediting the combined efforts of the technical staff, federation officials, and players. He emphasised the importance of continuing to host such events to promote sports tourism in Oman.
Bahrain’s Mohammed Hassan expressed his joy at winning the title, saying the team corrected its earlier mistakes and entered the final with determination. He thanked Oman for hosting the first official men’s 3x3 basketball championship and added that winning the title would motivate the team in upcoming competitions, noting that being the first champion increases their responsibility to defend the crown.