Players preparing for the championship.

MANAMA, July 24: Kuwait will tip off its campaign in the 26th Arab Basketball Championship this evening with a match against the UAE national team at 6:00 pm, as part of the first round of the tournament currently being hosted in Bahrain until August 2.

The opening day will also feature two other matches: Tunisia vs Algeria at 4:00 pm, and host Bahrain plays Qatar at 8:00 pm.

A total of seven teams are competing for the title: UAE, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Bahrain, Qatar, and Kuwait. The competition will follow a single round-robin format, with all teams facing each other once. The team with the highest points at the end will be crowned champion. All matches are being held at Khalifa Sports City Hall.

As part of its preparation, the Kuwaiti team held an external training camp in Turkey, where it played three friendlies against Algeria, Saudi Arabia, and Azerbaijan. The team is led by Serbian head coach Oliver Kostić and assistant coach Khaled Al-Qallaf.

Coach Kostić described the tournament as a valuable opportunity for the squad’s young players, many of whom are experiencing their first major international competition.

“We played several friendly matches in the Istanbul camp, which helped create harmony among the players,” Kostić said upon arriving in Bahrain. “We have a young team that we are trying to prepare for the future by allowing some players to participate alongside the experienced players.”

Ahmed Al-Balushi echoed the coach’s sentiment, calling the tournament a chance to build a new core of players and allow emerging talent to gain experience at a high level.

“The tournament is very strong, with teams that have long histories in this competition,” he said. “But we will give our best to perform at a decent level and present a respectable image to Kuwaiti fans.”

By Hassan Mosa

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff