Bahrain take first step toward Asia 2029

TDT | Manama

Email : hussainm@newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain’s journey toward the 2029 FIBA Asia Cup begins this August, as the senior men’s national team has been drawn into Group A for the first round of pre-qualifiers. The FIBA Asia Regional Office confirmed the draw yesterday, placing Bahrain alongside hosts the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman, and Nepal. The round-robin tournament will take place in Dubai from August 24 to September 1, 2026.

Seventeen teams from Asia and Oceania will compete across four host cities — Dubai, Atyrau, Seremban, and Ulaanbaatar — in the first stage, divided between Western and Eastern regions. The top three teams from each group will advance to the second round of pre-qualifiers, where they will be placed in Groups E and F, each comprising six teams. These fixtures are scheduled from November 23 to December 1, 2026, also in a round-robin format.

The top four finishers from each second-round group will earn a spot in the 2029 FIBA Asia Cup, joining 16 teams that automatically qualified based on their participation in the 2025 edition in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. For Bahrain, the upcoming pre-qualifiers represent a crucial step in consolidating their position in Asian basketball, offering valuable international experience and an opportunity to continue building on their recent successes.

The national team has enjoyed a period of rapid development, reflected in their highest-ever FIBA ranking: 66th in the world and 11th in Asia as of March 2025. Under coach Georgios Vovoras, Bahrain has also shown strong performances at tournaments such as the William Jones Cup and the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 qualifiers, laying a solid foundation for the challenges of multi-window international play.

With the draw confirmed and the schedule set, attention now turns to Dubai this August, where Bahrain will take the first steps in its campaign to reach the FIBA Asia Cup 2029 and further cement its growing reputation on the continental stage.