Players preparing for the opening match.

CAIRO, Aug 9: The Kuwait junior basketball team will open its campaign in the 22nd Arab Championship today in Cairo with a match against Tunisia at 3:00 pm. The tournament, which runs until the 17th of this month, will also see Bahrain face Qatar at 1:00 pm and Algeria take on hosts Egypt at 7:00 pm.

Six teams are competing in a single-round league format, with the top two advancing to the final and the third- and fourth-placed teams meeting for the bronze medal.

Kuwait aims for a strong start against Tunisia to build momentum in the tournament. The team prepared by taking part in the Gulf Championship in Bahrain last June, where it finished third. Led by national coach Talal Al-Qallaf and assistant Yahya Al-Bahr, Kuwait will meet Qatar tomorrow, then face Bahrain on Monday, Egypt on Thursday, and conclude the preliminary round against Algeria next Friday.

Meanwhile, in the 31st Asian Basketball Cup in Jeddah, Australia defeated Lebanon 93-80 in Group A, while South Korea beat Qatar 97-83. In Group B, Iran overcame Japan 78-70, and Guam triumphed over Syria 82-73.

By Khaled Al-Enezi

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff