Muscat: The Arab 3x3 Basketball Championship for Youth (Boys and Girls) kicked off on Tuesday at Al Mouj Muscat, hosted by the Oman Basketball Association (OBA) in cooperation with the Arab Basketball Federation, attracting an open crowd of visitors and fans. The opening day brought mixed results for Oman’s teams, with the U18 girls (Team A) claiming a 14–4 win over Kuwait, while the U18 boys (Team A) fell to Kuwait 9–18.
Oman’s U18 boys started their match strongly, taking an early lead through Mishal Kafkaf, followed by a point from Azzan al Ajmi, before Kafkaf added two more points to put Oman ahead 4–0.
Kuwait gradually worked their way back into the game. Omeir Asadallah scored Kuwait’s first point, followed by two points from Ahmed al Rasheed, narrowing the gap to 4–3. Capitalising on Oman’s brief loss of focus, Mohammed al Shammari equalised for Kuwait and put them ahead for the first time. A free throw extended Kuwait’s lead, before Oman’s Azzan al Ajmi pulled one back.
However, Kuwait maintained their momentum, adding three more points to make it 10–6, then stretching the lead to 13–6 as Oman struggled with missed opportunities and loss of rhythm. Despite more scoring efforts from Azzan, Kuwait continued to widen the gap and secured a 18–9 victory.
The match was officiated by Ali al Salmani (Oman) and Muneera al Shatti (Kuwait).
QATAR EDGE LEBANON
One of the day’s best matches came between Qatar (A) and Lebanon, delivering high intensity from the opening seconds. Qatar’s Pedri opened the scoring from a free throw, before Bouhidra equalised for Lebanon. Hadi then added back-to-back points to give Lebanon a 3–1 lead.
Hadi continued his dominant performance, scoring Lebanon’s fourth point, but Pedri responded with precision to keep Qatar close. Lebanon’s Salem added point number five, before Qatar rallied through Pedri and Azzan Mohammed, who tied the game 5–5 after an impressive passing sequence.
The two sides exchanged baskets with fierce pace, with Lebanon pulling ahead 11–10. In the closing moments, Azzan scored two clutch points to restore Qatar’s lead. Lebanon equalised through Rahi, but Azzan struck again with a decisive two-point play, sealing Qatar’s exciting 14–12 victory.
OMAN THRASH KUWAIT
Oman’s girls (Team A) delivered a commanding performance in their opening match, despite Kuwait drawing first blood through Shaikha al Dakhil. Oman quickly regrouped and Lamar al Saeed levelled the score after a series of well-structured offensive plays.
Lamar returned to add another point, but Kuwait equalised through Maryam al Marri from a free throw. From that moment forward, Oman took complete control of the match.
Malak al Sulaymi scored twice in quick succession, followed by another accurate finish from Lamar to make it 5–2. Malak continued her superb form, adding two more points, while Lamar and her teammates extended the lead through fast-paced transitions and strong defensive pressure, taking the score to 10–2.
Oman maintained full momentum, with Lamar scoring the eleventh point and Malak adding another, before both teams traded baskets in the final minute. Oman sealed a confident 14–4 victory after a well-balanced performance on both ends of the court.
STRONG OPENING
Engineer Khalfan bin Saleh al Naabi, OBA Chairman, expressed his delight with the strong start of the tournament, saying: "We warmly welcome all Arab and Gulf teams participating in both the Arab and Gulf 3x3 Championships here at Al Mouj Muscat. Hosting these tournaments for the second consecutive year reflects Oman’s growing reputation as a capable organiser of major sporting events."
He added that choosing Al Mouj Muscat as an open-air venue allowed for broader public engagement, further supporting the OBA's efforts to promote 3x3 basketball by hosting it in accessible public spaces.
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