Youth Cagers Eye Last Eight

TDT | Manama

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Bahrain will look to book their place in the quarter-finals of the Fiba U18 Asia Cup 2026 when they face Chinese Taipei tomorrow in Ahmedabad, India.

The kingdom’s youth men enter the qualification play-off on the back of an impressive 92-68 victory over Syria, which secured second place in Group B with two wins from three games.

Salman Ramadhan’s side will now face Group A third-placers Chinese Taipei at the Veer Savarkar Indoor Stadium, with a place in Friday’s last eight at stake.

Bahrain opened their campaign with a 74-68 victory over Lebanon before suffering an 86-42 defeat to group winners New Zealand.

They responded strongly against Syria, leading by as many as 31 points and dominating the second half 52-29 after their opponents had cut the deficit to just one at 40-39 by half-time.

Somto Patrick Onoduenyi and Hassan Abdulkadir once again spearheaded the victory, with both recording double-doubles.

Onoduenyi produced 26 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks, while Abdulkadir finished with 21 points, 12 boards and two blocks.

Mujtaba Mahmood Rayyan also played a key role with 17 points, including five three-pointers, while Ali Husain Mohamed added 10.

Chinese Taipei head into tomorrow’s encounter after finishing third in Group A with a 1-2 record.

The six-time Asian medallists suffered a heavy 110-58 defeat to defending champions Australia in their final group game, having previously done enough to secure their place in the qualification play-offs.

Carter Coleman has emerged as a major threat for the East Asian side and was their lone player in double figures against Australia, scoring 18 points while adding five rebounds and two assists.

Chinese Taipei will be aiming to improve on their 12th-place finish at the previous edition in 2024, while Bahrain are seeking to reach the quarter-finals and move a step closer to a place at next year’s Fiba U19 Basketball World Cup.

The four semi-finalists in Ahmedabad will secure qualification for the global championship.