Iran outplay Bahrain in classification round

Abdulkadir’s 20 Points Not Enough as Bahrain lose again in U16 Asia Cup

Bahrain’s run at the FIBA U16 Asia Cup 2025 suffered another setback yesterday in Ulaanbaatar, with a heavy 95–62 defeat to Iran in the 5–8 classification stage. The result dropped Bahrain into today’s 7th–8th place playoff against Chinese Taipei at 6:30 AM (BH time), while Iran advanced to contest 5th place against Korea.

Iran Dictates from the Outset

Iran seized control early, outscoring Bahrain 20–18 in the first quarter and 23–14 in the second. By halftime, the gap had widened to 43–32, as Bahrain struggled to match Iran’s pace and rebounding. The third frame offered little respite, and Iran’s dominant 30–11 fourth quarter sealed the 33-point victory.

Yasin MorovatHalabi led Iran with 23 points and 9 rebounds, ably supported by Alireza Rashidi’s playmaking and defensive presence. Bahrain leaned heavily on Hassan Abdulkadir once more, who posted 20 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 assists, but lacked consistent support from teammates.

The Iranis will now play for 5th place against Korea at 9am today.

Bahrain Overwhelmed

Without the injured Somto Patrick, Bahrain again leaned almost entirely on Abdulkadir’s two-way production. Hussain Ghuloom added 3 assists, but Iran outperformed across nearly every statistical category.