MUSCAT, SEPT 27
Al Seeb and Al Bashayer basketball teams began their campaigns in the 37th edition of the Arab Club Basketball Championship for Men, hosted by Dubai, with defeats against Kuwait’s Kazma and Syria’s Al Wahda, respectively.
In the first match, Al Seeb lost to Kazma (73–82) in a game that witnessed clear fluctuations in performance. Al Seeb impressed in the first and fourth quarters but fell behind in the second and third, which allowed Kazma to seize control and secure the win by a margin of points. Al Seeb’s offence was led by professional player Jawad Atkuya, who scored 27 points, alongside teammate Tosho Tejono with 26 points. For Kazma, Philip Green stood out with 17 points, and Johnson added 15 points.
The match began strongly for Al Seeb, who ended the first quarter ahead (22–19). However, repeated defensive errors, especially against Kazma’s zone defence in the second quarter, cost them many chances, as they managed only 10 points compared to 25 for Kazma, finishing the half trailing (32–44). Kazma extended their dominance in the third quarter, adding 20 points to Al Seeb’s 13, widening the gap to (64–45). Although Al Seeb bounced back with a strong offensive showing in the fourth quarter, scoring 28 points against Kazma’s 18 it wasn’t enough to overturn the deficit, ending the game (73–82).
In the second match, Al Bashayer fell narrowly to Syria’s Al Wahda (74–79) in a fiercely competitive contest marked by balanced performances across all four quarters. Both teams exchanged baskets and control, but Al Wahda managed to secure victory in the final minutes with a five-point lead.
For Al Bashayer, professional player Samja Heni led the charge with 24 points, followed by Idris Mansour with 17, while Ahmed al Halhili and Rote Munyong contributed 11 each. On the other side, Al Wahda’s standouts were Majed Ahmed and Carlos Anthony, both scoring 15 points.
The game began with Al Bashayer trailing in the first quarter (13–23). Their performance improved slightly in the second, but Al Wahda maintained control, ending the half (38–27). In the third quarter, Al Wahda extended their lead with 21 points to Al Bashayer’s 19, making it 59–46). Al Bashayer delivered their best offensive effort in the fourth quarter, scoring 28 points equal to Al Wahda, but it was not enough to close the gap, ending the match in defeat (74–79).
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