Al-Arabi player controls the ball as Kuwait Club player defends.

KUWAIT CITY, Oct 22: Kuwait Club’s first basketball team suffered a surprising 78-83 loss to Qatar’s Al-Arabi in its opening match of Group B in the Asian Super League at the Basketball Federation Hall in the Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Sports Complex.

Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ula leads the group with two points, narrowly ahead of Al-Arabi on point difference, while Kuwait Club sits third and the UAE’s Sharjah fourth, each with one point.

Under the tournament rules, the group winner advances directly to the semifinals, while the second and third-placed teams from both groups face off in a playoff match, with the winner moving on to the Gulf Zone semifinals. The finalists will then join teams from Central Asia for the championship’s final stages.

Despite a strong effort, Kuwait Club struggled to secure its first win, even after leading by 11 points in the third quarter. The team will now face a crucial matchup against Al-Ula next Tuesday in Kuwait.

By Khaled Al-Enezi

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff