DOHA, Jan 28: Kuwait Club is gearing up for a crucial showdown against Qatar's Al-Rayyan at 8:00 pm in the latter's arena. This clash is part of the second round of the West Asian Basketball Championship for the Gulf region's second division.

Heading into the match, Al-Kuwait leads the standings with 7 points, securing the top spot over Bahrain’s Muharraq in second place. Al-Rayyan and Al-Ahly of Saudi Arabia follow closely, both accumulating 5 points each.

In this competition, the top team from each of the two Gulf groups advances to the next round. Meanwhile, the second and third-placed teams in each group face off, with the winners earning a spot in the semi-finals for the Gulf region.Despite a recent loss to Al-Muharraq, Kuwait maintained its leading position in the standings, courtesy of a favorable scoring difference in direct confrontations.

The destiny of "Al-Abyad" lies in its hands, and securing victories in the remaining two matches would ensure qualification. Coach Peter Schumers, hailing from Germany, is optimistic about bouncing back from the setback in the last round and solidifying the team's eligibility for the semi-finals by securing a win in today's crucial match.

Key players for Kuwait include Alexander Al-Ghais, the Adnan brothers, Muhammad and Hamad, Turki Hammoud, and the international players Marcus Hunt and Anthony Carr, along with the Haitian talent Cadi LaLanne.

Khaled El Anzi

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff