FIBA U18 Asia Cup Gulf Qualifiers: Oman and Bahrain make winning starts

By the Editorial Team · Sunday, July 26, 2026

Oman and Bahrain both won their opening games in the FIBA U18 Asia Cup Gulf Qualifiers, with Oman staging a late comeback against Kuwait and Bahrain holding off Saudi Arabia. These early victories put them in strong positions to secure one of the two spots available for the upcoming FIBA U18 Asian Championship in India.

Oman and Bahrain began their campaigns with victories in the FIBA U18 Asia Cup Gulf Qualifiers, which commenced Saturday at Al Gharafa Sports Hall in Qatar. The tournament, organized by the Qatar Basketball Federation, runs through July 30 and features five Gulf nations—Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Oman—competing for two qualifying spots to the FIBA U18 Asian Championship scheduled for August in India.

In the opening round, Oman rallied from a significant halftime deficit to defeat Kuwait 62-59 in a closely contested match. Kuwait led 40-29 at halftime, having established control early on with a 22-13 advantage after the first quarter. However, Oman gradually chipped away at the gap, winning the third quarter 16-14 before mounting a decisive 17-5 run in the final period. Strong defensive efforts and efficient fast-break offense enabled Oman to contain Kuwait’s key players and complete a dramatic comeback.

Meanwhile, Bahrain secured a 62-54 win over Saudi Arabia. Bahrain jumped out to a 16-6 lead in the first quarter, but Saudi Arabia responded by dominating the second quarter 20-8, narrowing the halftime margin. Bahrain regained momentum with a 21-11 third quarter and maintained the lead through the fourth, which ended tied at 17-17, to close out the game with an eight-point margin.

After the first round, Oman and Bahrain lead the standings with two points each, while Kuwait and Saudi Arabia hold one point apiece. Qatar, the host nation, will begin their campaign Sunday, facing Saudi Arabia at 7 p.m. following Bahrain’s game against Kuwait at 5 p.m. Qatar’s preparation included an overseas training camp in Yalova, Turkey, where the team participated in several friendly matches to enhance physical and tactical readiness.

The tournament follows a single round-robin format, with each team playing four games. Teams earn two points for a win and one point for a loss. The top two finishers will secure qualification to the FIBA U18 Asian Championship in Ahmedabad, India. That event offers opportunities for the best teams to advance to the 2027 FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup in the Czech Republic, with four places available.

Competition resumes on Monday with Oman facing Bahrain at 5 p.m., followed by Qatar versus Kuwait at 7 p.m. After a rest day on Tuesday, matches continue Wednesday and conclude Thursday with the final round of games determining the qualifiers.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.