Players fighting for the ball.

MADINAH, Sept 15: Al-Fatat of Kuwait secured an important 78-71 win over Bahrain’s Al-Hala in the fourth round of the 26th Arab Women’s Club Basketball Championship, hosted at Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Hall in Madinah.

The victory lifted Al-Fatat’s tally to six points, placing the Kuwaiti side in joint second with Jordan’s Shabab Al-Fuheis — who handed host Al-Ula of Saudi Arabia its first defeat of the competition (75-68) — and Algeria’s Cosidar, which defeated fellow Kuwait's Al-Qurain 72-52.

The preliminary stage concludes today with three decisive fixtures: Al-Fatat face Shabab Al-Fuheis at 3:00 p.m., Al-Qurain meets Sharjah of the UAE at 5:00 p.m., and Al-Ula clash with Cosidar at 7:00 p.m.

Seven clubs are competing in this year’s championship, which runs until September 19. Following the group stage, teams will be ranked from first to seventh. The top two will contest the title, while the third- and fourth-placed sides will battle for the bronze medal.