Mishaal Mohammed

MANAMA, July 6:  Kuwait’s Under-16 basketball team will begin its campaign in the Gulf Cup Qualifiers today with a crucial opening match against the United Arab Emirates at 5:00 pm, followed by Bahrain vs. Oman at 7:30 pm. All matches will take place at Umm Al-Hassam Hall in the Bahraini capital.

The qualifiers will follow a single round-robin format, with the top two teams advancing to the Asian Junior Cup Finals scheduled for August in Mongolia.

The Kuwaiti squad, led by head coach Dr. Talal Al-Qallaf and assistant Yahya Al-Bahr, enters the tournament after three weeks of local training followed by an intensive training camp in Cairo, where the team played five friendly matches to fine-tune preparations.

Among the standout players in the squad are:

Abdulaziz Al-Mutawa, Fareej Al-Freej, Omar Al-Saleh, Musaed Al-Obaidi, Mishaal Al-Azmi, Abdulrahman Al-Qatifi, and Abdullah Al-Jarid.

Mishaal Mohammed, Board Member of the Kuwait Basketball Association and National Teams Director, expressed confidence in the team’s readiness.

“We prepared well, and the training camp was successful. The technical staff worked hard to correct mistakes from the Cairo friendlies and ensure the players are in peak condition. We are aiming to compete for top spots and qualify for the Asian Finals,” he said.

By Khaled Al-Enezi

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff