Winless Bahrain Defeated by Türkiye Hussain Al Maskati

TDT | Manama

Email : hussainm@newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain’s youth men’s national team concluded their 31st Albert Schweitzer Tournament campaign in Germany with a 57- 86 defeat to Türkiye yesterday, finishing their debut appearance with five losses from as many games.

The Bahrainis started brightly, exchanging leads with their opponents in a thrilling first period. Türkiye surged ahead with a 9-2 run, but Ali Barhoom responded with six points to keep Bahrain within striking distance at 20-18.

The second quarter saw the Turks seize control. Kartal Bora Şimsek led their side with eight points in a 21-14 stretch, while Demir Öztürk and Ömer Alp Elitas added five and eight points respectively, giving Türkiye a 41-32 halftime advantage. Bahrain struggled to maintain momentum despite strong efforts from Hassan Abdulkadir and Somto Onoduenyi.

Türkiye’s dominance became more pronounced in the third period, outscoring Bahrain 19-4. Elitas continued his fine form, while Kerem Sertakar contributed seven points as Bahrain found it increasingly difficult to break through Türkiye’s defense.

In the final quarter, Türkiye kept their foot on the gas. Sertakar and Elitas combined for 12 points, with Öztürk finishing with 12 points and five rebounds, Şimsek 16 points, Elitas 19 points, and Sertakar 15 points. Bahrain’s Onoduenyi led his side with 12 points, Abdulkadir added 16 points and 10 rebounds, Barhoom chipped in eight points, and Yousif Meshael scored 10 in a valiant effort.

The defeat completed Bahrain’s preliminary round, which included losses to hosts Germany, Sweden, Slovenia, and Japan. With a 0-5 record, the team now moves into classification contests to determine rankings from ninth to 12th place.

Following the preliminaries, the top two teams from each pool will progress to the semi-finals, set for today, with gold and bronze medal games scheduled for Saturday, the tournament’s final day. Bahrain will use the experience gained in Germany as preparation for the Gulf Basketball Association qualifiers ahead of the FIBA U18 Asia Cup 2026 in Qatar.