Sulaibikhat aims to revive Arab Championship hopes

Sulaibikhat player dribbles the ball as opponents defend.

BEIRUT, Oct 13: Sulaibikhat faces a crucial test against Qatar’s Al-Arabi at 2 pm today as it seeks to revive its quarterfinal hopes in the 38th Arab Clubs Basketball Championship in Beirut, Lebanon.

The tournament runs until October 20, with the Kuwaiti side under pressure to halt a two-match losing streak and strengthen its bid to finish among the top four teams in Group B and advance to the quarterfinals.

Sulaibikhat suffered its latest setback on Sunday, losing 74-68 to Syria’s Homs Al-Fida in the third round. It started the campaign with a thrilling 77-76 victory over Yemen’s Shaab Hadramout before suffering an 84-64 defeat to Lebanon’s Beirut in the second round.

Al-Arabi will pose another stern challenge, having established themselves among the leading contenders in the group. The Qatari side tops the standings with six points, level with Beirut.

Homs Al-Fida occupies third place, followed by Sulaibikhat and Hops in fourth and fifth, respectively, with four points apiece. Shaab Hadramout brings up the rear with three points.

Three other matches are scheduled for today in Group A, with Syria’s Ahli Aleppo taking on Lebanon’s Centralia, Oman’s Al-Seeb meeting Bahrain’s Manama, and Qatar’s Al-Rayyan facing Lebanon’s Al-Hikma.

By Khaled Al-Enezi

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff