Bahrain U16s primed for Gulf test
TDT | Manama
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Bahrain’s U16 basketball team have wrapped up their overseas training camp in Bosnia and Herzegovina, returning home with renewed confidence ahead of the upcoming Gulf Championship, which tips off on July 7 in Manama. The tournament doubles as a qualifier for the FIBA U16 Asian Cup in Mongolia this September.
The camp, part of their preparations for the U16 Asia Cup Gulf Basketball Association (GBA) Qualifiers 2025, ran from June 21 and featured daily training sessions, video analysis, and five competitive friendlies against men’s club sides.
Valuable Minutes, Valuable Lessons
The young Bahrainis won two matches, defeating ILIDIAZ and Konjic, while pushing stronger sides like SPARS, Celik Zenica, and Realway in closely contested matchups. These games offered invaluable exposure and highlighted the squad’s steady progression under head coach Rassem Al Marzouqi and assistant Hani Alam.
In addition to on-court drills, the team also engaged in recovery and tactical review sessions. Minor injuries were managed carefully and are not expected to affect player availability.
Eyes on Qualification
The upcoming tournament is set to feature all six GCC nations.
It will be held at the BBA Arena in Um Al Hassam, beginning with a preliminary round before progressing to the knockouts. The event will decide which teams qualify for this year’s FIBA U16 Asian Championship, scheduled to take place in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
Backed by Home Support
Backed by strong support from the Bahrain Basketball Association and its president, Alaa Mudara, the squad now shifts focus to defending home court in a tournament that could book their place on the continental stage. Playing in front of home fans, Bahrain are hoping to be one of the two Gulf sides to clinch qualification for Mongolia.
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