Saudi, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar into final four in Gulf 3x3 basketball

MUSCAT: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar secured their places in the Final Four of both the men’s and women’s categories at the Gulf 3x3 Basketball Championship, hosted by the Oman Basketball Association (OBA) at Al Mouj Muscat with the participation of five Gulf nations.

Despite Oman (A) defeating Kuwait 19–15 in the group stage, the national team missed out on qualification as point differential favoured Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

In the women's competition, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait advanced from Group A, while Bahrain and Qatar qualified from Group B.

OMAN (A) WIN BUT BOW OUT... A THRILLING BATTLE AGAINST KUWAIT

Oman (A) delivered one of its best performances in the group stage with a thrilling 19–15 victory over Kuwait. Ahmed al Sinani opened the scoring, followed by points from Osama al Riyami and Ahmed al Halhili to build a 9–3 lead. Kuwait reduced the gap to 9–7, but Oman regained momentum, extending the score to 13–8.

Oman continued to dominate, with Al Sinani adding a crucial point to widen the gap to 18–13 before sealing a deserved 19–15 win. However, point differential calculations prevented the team from reaching the semifinals.

Qatar beat Bahrain 17–13, overturning an early Bahraini lead with a composed second-half comeback. — Ammar al Musafir

OMAN (B) FALL SHORT IN THE FINAL SECONDS AGAINST BAHRAIN

Oman (B) lost a dramatic match to Bahrain 18–17. The Omanis started strongly through Hadeed Bait Bakhit and Abdulrahman Al Shuaibi, taking leads of 4–0, 6–3, and 8–5. Bahrain gradually fought back, levelling the score repeatedly at 10–10, 15–15, and 17–17, before scoring the decisive point in the dying moments.

In other matches, Kuwait defeated Saudi Arabia 16–13 after a fast-paced contest with both teams exchanging leads until Kuwait secured the win through strong offensive focus. Meanwhile, Qatar beat Bahrain 17–13, overturning an early Bahraini lead with a composed second-half comeback.

WOMEN’S COMPETITION

The women’s matches witnessed strong competition. Oman (A) fell to Saudi Arabia 19–10, while Oman (B) lost to Qatar 21–7 in a match where the Qataris displayed excellent structure, quick ball movement, and effective two-point shooting. Saudi Arabia later defeated Kuwait 21–8 with an organised offensive performance, and Bahrain cruised past Oman (B) 21–4 after establishing early control.

Saudi Arabia later defeated Kuwait 21–8 with an organised offensive performance. — Ammar al Musafir

In a closely contested match, Oman (A) narrowly lost to Kuwait 15–14 after an intense battle until the final seconds. Bahrain closed the day with a strong 21–9 victory over Qatar, showcasing tactical coherence and high-level teamwork.

With these results, the women’s Final Four lineup was completed after a highly competitive opening day.

Abdullatif Nasser Al Fardan, President of the UAE Basketball Federation, praised Oman’s exceptional organisation, noting the strength and competitiveness of the matches and the close level among Gulf teams, which reflects the sport’s development in the region. He stressed that Oman’s success in hosting both the Arab and Gulf championships demonstrates its readiness to deliver a fully integrated sporting event.

Similarly, Dari Burjas, President of the Kuwait Basketball Federation, commended the high technical level displayed on the opening day and the outstanding organisation in all aspects. He noted that most teams arrived with ambitions to compete for the title and highlighted that Oman’s ability to host two major consecutive championships reflects the significant trust placed in the Oman Basketball Association and its capacity to organise events worthy of the participating teams’ level.