Al Bashayer Club emerged as champions in the Oman Basketball League 2022-23 after they defended title in a nail-biting final against Al Seeb on Thursday night.
The final was held under the auspices of Azzan bin Qasim al Busaidi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism. The event was graced by the presence of Engineer Khalfan bin Saleh al Naabi, Chairman of Oman Basketball Association.
In a thrilling final match, Al Bashayer prevailed after a hard-fought victory over Al Seeb Club, with a final score of 57-54. The match was moderated by international referees Issam al Siyabi as the first referee, Rashid al Mushaifari as the second referee and Thani al Khalasi as the third referee.
The closing match was a nail-biter, with both teams displaying impressive technical skills.
In the first quarter, Al Bashayer took an early lead thanks to the focused efforts of their players. Mahmoud al Souli, Hadid Beit Bakhit and Ahmed al Halali all made successful shots, giving Al Bashayer a 7-point advantage. Although Al Seeb narrowed the gap to 4-7 at one point, Al Bashayer continued to dominate with 4 more points from Hadid Beit Bakhit, bringing the score to 11-4. Al Bashayer kept up the pressure, scoring more points to end the first quarter with a commanding 19-10 lead.
In the second quarter, Al Seeb fought back, managing to reduce the deficit to just 5 points at 18-23. However, Al Bashayer responded strongly, scoring 6 points including two impressive triple shots from Aaron and Hadid Beit Bakhit, extending their lead to 29-18. Al Seeb managed to score 4 points through American player Denith, but the game remained intense with both teams trading attacks. Al Bashayer finished the first half ahead with a score of 33-23.
The third quarter saw a slight change in the game's dynamics, with Al Seeb managing to close the gap to just 3 points at 33-36. However, Al Bashayer regrouped and managed to double their lead by the end of the quarter, which finished with a score of 47-36 in their favour.
The fourth quarter was the most exciting and intense, especially for Al Seeb, who managed to reduce the difference to just 3 points at 51-54. Both teams continued to launch offensive attempts, with Al Seeb coming within a point at 54-55. However, Al Bashayer capitalised on a mistake to score 2 more points and secure victory with a final score of 57-54.
NIZWA THIRD
Nizwa Club secured third place with their win against Al Ahli Sidab, with a final score of 73-64.
After the concluding game, chief guest Azzan bin Qasim al Busaidi and Engineer Khalfan bin Saleh al Naabi bestowed honours upon the winners. The Al Bashayer Club were awarded the league shield and gold medals as the champions, while the Al Seeb Club, the league runners-up, were presented with silver medals.
The Nizwa Club were presented with bronze medals. Nizwa's Ackim Smart received the top-scorer award, while Osama al Riyami of the same club received the three-point scorer award. Ahli Sidab's Ariel Okal became the best CM player and Aaron Barkas of Al Bashayer was named the best playmaker.
Speaking after the award ceremony, OBA chief Eng Khalfan al Naabi said: “It was an enjoyable and strong match throughout its periods, and the players of Al Seeb Club and Al Bashayer Club had a good level and a wonderful performance. We are now looking forward to the launch of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth Shield Championship, which will be held during the coming period."
He added that the launch of youth preparation centres in a number of clubs under the supervision of the OBA and with the support of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth contributes to the sustainability of the game in the clubs and motivates new clubs to join the competitions of the age groups. This creates an environment that contributes to the advancement of basketball and makes the competition present with wide participation.
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