A file photo of players battling for the ball.

KUWAIT CITY, Oct 6: The Kuwait Basketball League will officially kick off on October 23 at the Basketball Federation Hall in the Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Sports Complex. The Basketball Federation’s Competitions Committee recently released the full schedule. In the opening round, Kazma will face Al-Arabi, Al-Qurain takes on Al-Sulaibikhat, Al-Qadsia clashes with Al-Nasr, and Kuwait Club goes up against Al-Sahel.

This season features 8 participating clubs, following Al-Tadamon’s withdrawal due to limited support. The team failed to secure any wins last season and competed without professional players.

The league follows a three-division round-robin format, with the top four teams advancing to the semifinals. Semifinals will be played in a best-of-three series (1st vs 4th and 2nd vs 3rd), while the final will adopt a best-of-five format, with the first team to win three games claiming the championship. Kuwait Club has dominated recent seasons, winning the title for five consecutive years.

Founded in the 1961–1962 season with six participating clubs, the league has seen Al-Qadsia win 23 titles, Kuwait Club 15, Kazma 9, Al-Arabi 8, Al-Jahra 5, and Al-Sahel once.

This season promises exciting matchups as teams compete for glory in Kuwait’s premier basketball competition.

By Hassan  Mosa

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff