Players fight for the rebound.

MANAMA, July 9: The Kuwait junior basketball team suffered a heavy 93-52 defeat against host nation Bahrain in the second round of the Gulf Cup, currently taking place in Manama and set to conclude this Saturday. In the same round, Saudi Arabia recorded a dominant 73-30 victory over the UAE.

This loss pushed Kuwait to second place in the standings with three points, trailing Bahrain, who lead with four. Saudi Arabia and the UAE follow with two points each, while Oman sits at the bottom with one point.

Despite a promising start to the tournament — which serves as a qualifier for the Asian Cup finals — with a 63-44 win over the UAE, the Blues failed to maintain momentum in their second outing, falling short of the expectations placed upon them as title contenders.

Kuwait began the game strongly, keeping pace with Bahrain and trailing narrowly 25-22 at the end of the first quarter. However, a dramatic decline in performance in the second quarter saw the host take full control, outscoring the Blues 33-9 to head into halftime with a commanding 58-31 lead.

Bahrain’s dominance continued in the second half as it widened the gap further, ending the third quarter 80-43 and wrapping up the match with a convincing 93-52 win, a 41-point margin.

All teams are scheduled to rest today before action resumes tomorrow with two matchups: Saudi Arabia vs. Oman, and UAE vs. Bahrain. Kuwait will close its campaign the following day with a critical clash against Saudi Arabia — a match expected to decide the second team to qualify for the Asian Finals alongside the Gulf Cup champion.

By Hassan Mosa

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff