Sunday 30 / November / 2025
MUSCAT: Bahrain clinched the men’s title at the Gulf 3x3 Basketball Championship after a deserved 21–16 victory over Qatar, while the Saudi Arabia captured women's crown with a 20–17 win over Bahrain at Al Mouj, Muscat on Saturday evening.
The tournament, hosted by the Oman Basketball Association, concluded with the finals and awarding ceremony held under the patronage of His Highness Sayyid Mohammed bin Thuwaini bin Shihab Al Said, in the presence of Gulf federation presidents, team representatives, and a large attending crowd.
Saudi Arabia earned the bronze in the men's category. Bahrain’s Bogdan Dragovic received the Best Player Award.
In the women’s category, Kuwait claimed bronze. Qatar’s Mona Suleiman was named Best Player.
The men’s final delivered high drama as Bahrain opened the scoring through Dragovic, before Qatar responded quickly via Nedim Muslic. Both teams swapped leads early on, but Bahrain gained control as the match entered its final phase. Milos Supica widened the gap to 12–8, though Qatar managed to level the score at 15–15.
In the decisive moments, Bahrain pulled ahead through Bogdan and Mohammed Hassan, who added crucial points to reach 20–16, before sealing the victory 21–16.
In the bronze medal playoff match, Saudi Arabia beat Kuwait 21–14.
Rayed opened with a three-pointer, followed by scoring contributions from Hani Mohammed that extended the lead to 9–3. Despite Kuwait’s late push, Saudi Arabia sealed the match with a final basket from Hazem.
Women’s final
Saudi women dominated the early stages with scoring from Kawthar Al Khayyat and precise shooting from Rand Khaled. Jana Salman and Aljawhara Mohammed played key roles in creating scoring opportunities.
Bahrain attempted to stay in contention through Aya Kamal, Maryam Al Owais, and Bayan Salman, but Saudi Arabia girls maintained composure in the closing moments and secured a well-earned 20–17 victory.
Kuwait’s women’s team earned an important 11–7 win over Qatar to secure bronze.
Kuwait started strongly before Qatar equalised through Nazeeha Al Agha. As the match progressed, Kuwait’s Sheikha Abdullah and Munira Al Rahaili proved decisive, gradually extending the lead and securing the victory despite Qatar’s late attempts to respond.
Eng. Khalfan Al Naabi, President of the OBA, expressed his delight with the high technical level of the championship and congratulated Bahrain and Saudi Arabia on their titles.
He praised the excellent organisation, highlighting the strong fan presence and the vibrant atmosphere at Al Mouj Muscat.
Al Naabi also pointed to the noticeable improvement in the performance of Oman’s national teams, crediting the combined efforts of the technical staff, federation officials, and players. He emphasised the importance of continuing to host such events to promote sports tourism in Oman.
Bahrain’s Mohammed Hassan expressed his joy at winning the title, saying the team corrected its earlier mistakes and entered the final with determination.
He thanked Oman for hosting the first official men’s Gulf 3x3 Basketball Championship and added that winning the title would motivate the team in upcoming competitions, noting that being the first champion increases their responsibility to defend the crown.
