OBA unveils Muscat Nights 3×3 Championship

MUSCAT, JAN 19
The Oman Basketball Association (OBA) has revealed details of the Muscat Nights International 3×3 Basketball Championship, scheduled for January 23–24 at Al Araimi Boulevard. The announcement was made during a press conference held at the Oman Olympic Committee Hall, attended by OBA Chairman Eng Khalfan al Naabi, Said al Habsi, Acting Secretary-General, and several media representatives.
Eng Khalfan al Naabi affirmed that organising the championship comes as part of an initiative by Muscat Municipality to host an international tournament in cooperation with the OBA. He noted that the choice of Al Araimi Boulevard reflects a strategic direction toward staging sporting events in vibrant, open venues accessible to the public, given their positive impact on tourism promotion and crowd engagement. He explained that the championship marks the launch of a future partnership with Muscat Municipality, whether through hosting upcoming international events or organising local tournaments in high-traffic locations across Muscat Governorate.
He added that the international championship will take place on January 23–24, preceded by a local tournament on January 22 featuring teams from within the Sultanate of Oman, aimed at expanding community participation and promoting basketball. He pointed out that preparations began early in cooperation with Muscat Municipality and the management of Al Araimi Boulevard, with specialised teams formed to oversee organisational and technical aspects, alongside coordination with hotels and relevant entities to receive participating delegations. The OBA chief also extended an open invitation to fans to attend the matches, stressing that the momentum of Muscat Nights events will give the championship strong spectator appeal.
Regarding private sector support, Al Naabi praised the contributions of sponsoring companies, commending Daleel Petroleum for supporting the Association by providing a 3×3 basketball court,, its second such contribution. He emphasised the Association’s continued efforts to promote 3×3 basketball and strengthen its presence within the community, noting the growing popularity of the sport locally and the OBA's commitment to hosting Gulf and Arab championships in line with the sport’s rising global stature. He also revealed ongoing discussions to launch branded leagues targeting youth, juniors and cadets.
For his part, Hussein al Ramhi, Supervisor of Sports and Beach Activities at Muscat Nights, stated that the importance of the championship goes beyond the sporting aspect to include economic, tourism and cultural dimensions, through attracting international teams and audiences and stimulating tourism and commercial activity, while offering a unique sporting experience that appeals to new segments, particularly youth.
On the competition format, Said al Habsi explained that both the men’s and women’s tournaments will be held in a two-group format for each category, played in a single round-robin system, with the top two teams from each group qualifying for the knockout stages. He highlighted the wide international participation, with the men’s competition featuring teams from Oman (A), Oman (B), Malaysia, India, Kenya, and the Philippines, while the women’s competition includes Oman (A), Oman (B), Iran, India and Kenya, giving the championship a strong and competitive international character.