Seef open 2026 campaign in Bulgaria

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain’s Seef 3×3 basketball team will kick off their 2026 international season this weekend by taking part in the Sofia Open 3×3 Palms Lite Quest in Bulgaria, marking their first appearance on this year’s global circuit.

The tournament is officially sanctioned by FIBA and sits within the organisation’s “Road to the World Tour” structure, bringing together a wide international field and offering teams a pathway into higher-tier events.

This year’s Sofia competition features 24 teams from across Europe, North America and beyond. While the event does not grant direct access to a World Tour Masters, it carries added significance as a Lite Quest; the winning side earns qualification to the Caceres Challenger in Spain, set for July 11–12. Only the title winners will secure that progression.

Seef will line up with Bogdan Dragovic, Austin Ajukwa, Uros Ilic, and Isa Jassim forming the squad for the Bulgarian challenge, as the team looks to build early-season rhythm against strong international opposition.

As part of their build-up, the Bahraini outfit has already set up a training base in Serbia, where they are undergoing a short preparatory camp focused on conditioning, tactical work, and team coordination ahead of the competition.

Once their Sofia Open campaign concludes, Seef will remain in the region and return to Serbia to continue preparations for their next assignment on the FIBA 3×3 calendar — the Lion City Challenger in Singapore on June 20–21. That event also serves as a qualifying stop on the Road to the World Tour, with the top three teams earning places in the Lausanne Masters in Switzerland later in the season.

The FIBA 3×3 system continues to grow as a structured global pathway, featuring tiers ranging from Quest and Lite Quest events through to Challengers and elite Masters tournaments that make up the World Tour.

Bahrain has established a steady presence in the format in recent years, regularly competing in and hosting international stops, helping raise the country’s profile within the fast-growing 3×3 scene.