KUNA photo The Kuwaiti U-16 basketball team has kicked off its domestic training camp in preparation for the Gulf Championship, set to take place in Bahrain this July.

KUWAIT CITY, June 11: The Kuwaiti Under-16 basketball team launched its internal training camp as part of its preparations for the upcoming Gulf Championship, set to take place in the Kingdom of Bahrain from July 7 to 12. The tournament will feature six teams: Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain (the host), and Kuwait.

Mishal Mohammed, Member of the Board of Directors at the Kuwait Basketball Association and Director of National Teams, emphasized the significance of the tournament, noting that it serves as a qualifier for the Asian Championship, scheduled to begin in late August in Mongolia. “This tournament is crucial as it brings together strong competition and paves the way to Asia,” he stated.

The training camp includes 14 players and features two daily sessions—morning and evening. From this group, 12 players will be selected to represent Kuwait in the tournament. Kuwait will compete in Group A alongside Qatar and the UAE, while Group B comprises Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Oman.

Mohammed explained that this camp marks the second phase of the team’s preparation. The first stage took place in Istanbul, Turkey, last January, where the squad played six friendly matches against Turkish clubs. He praised the players for their strong commitment during that phase.

The third and final stage of preparation will begin on June 21 with an external training camp in Cairo, Egypt. There, the team will play six friendly matches against top-level Egyptian teams before traveling to Bahrain for the start of the tournament.

Expressing his confidence in the squad, Mohammed described the players as ambitious and hardworking. He voiced hope that the Kuwaiti team would deliver a strong performance in the Gulf Championship and secure a top-two finish, earning qualification for the Asian Championship.