MUSCAT: Omani international basketball referee Dr Issam al Siyabi is officiating matches in the first round of the FIBA Asia Cup 2029 Pre-Qualifiers, with Group C being staged in Seremban, Malaysia, from August 28 to 31.
Al Siyabi’s selection for the continental assignment reflects the confidence placed in his refereeing experience and technical ability at the Asian level. He is part of the officiating team assigned to Group C matches at Arena Seremban.
The group features hosts Malaysia alongside Indonesia, Hong Kong, China and Singapore, with the teams competing in a round-robin format as they seek to secure places in the next stage of the qualification pathway.
Al Siyabi was among the referees appointed for the opening-day encounter between Malaysia and Hong Kong, China, alongside South Korea’s Seungmu Lee and Japan’s Shigeyuki Arisawa.
The FIBA Asia Cup 2029 Pre-Qualifiers mark the opening stage of the qualification process for the continental championship. A total of 18 national teams — 17 from Asia and Fiji from Oceania — are competing in the First Round across four groups hosted in Dubai in the UAE, Almaty in Kazakhstan, Seremban in Malaysia and Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia.
The top three teams from each first round group will progress to the second round, where the 12 qualified sides will be divided into two groups of six. The top four teams from each second round group will then advance to the FIBA Asia Cup 2029 Qualifiers, joining the 16 national teams that competed at the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Al Siyabi brings considerable experience to the Malaysian assignment. He began his refereeing career in 2008 before earning his international referee licence in 2014 after successfully completing the required international examinations.
Since then, he has officiated at several regional, continental and international competitions, building a strong record among Oman’s leading basketball referees. His experience includes officiating major matches and finals at various levels, strengthening his presence on the Asian refereeing scene.
His latest appointment underlines the continued presence of Omani referees at major continental competitions and adds another international assignment to the Sultanate of Oman’s basketball refereeing record.
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