Players fighting for the ball.

DUBAI, Sept 27: Kazma made a strong start in Group 3 of the 37th Arab Basketball Championship at Rashid bin Hamdan Hall in Dubai, UAE, which runs until October 7. The team defeated Oman’s Al-Seeb 82-73.

In other Group 3 matches, Syria’s Al-Wahda edged past Oman’s Al-Bashaer 79-74, while Qatar’s Al-Rayyan overcame Lebanon’s Al-Hekmeh 86-81. The clash between Qatar’s Al-Arabi and Yemen’s Al-Mina’a was postponed due to the latter’s delayed arrival.

The tournament began on Thursday with Kuwait Club falling 72-76 to Libya’s Ahli Tripoli in Group 2, which also saw Lebanon’s Al-Antwan defeat Bahrain’s Al-Manama 79-73. In Group 1, Al-Qadsia secured a solid 88-77 win over Syria’s Homs Al-Fidaa, while UAE’s Al-Nasr beat Yemen’s Shabab Hadramout 90-67.

The championship follows a round-robin format in the first round. All teams advance to the round of 16, where the top team in each group faces the fourth-placed team from the paired group, and the second-placed team faces the third. Winning teams then move on to the quarterfinals.

By Hassan Mosa

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff