BASKETBALL – BAHRAIN Olympic Committee (BOC) vice president and chairman of the Supreme Organising Committee of the 2025 Fiba Congress and Hall of Fame Ceremony Shaikh Isa bin Ali Al Khalifa emphasised that the Khalifa Bin Salman Basketball Cup final, set to take place today between Manama and Muharraq, is a landmark event in the history of basketball in Bahrain, given its strong public turnout and unprecedented international presence.
Shaikh Isa noted that the final would be attended by Shaikh Saud bin Ali Al Thani, president of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and Major General Ismail Al Gergawi, president of the Arab Basketball Federation, along with senior global basketball officials and renowned international legends. Among them are Yao Ming, former China national team star and NBA player for the Houston Rockets, and Dirk Nowitzki, German basketball icon and former Dallas Mavericks player.
Shaikh Isa highlighted that the final is not just a domestic title match but a global platform that reflects the advanced status of Bahraini basketball and the outcome of years of development and institutional work by the Bahrain Basketball Association. He noted that the high-level international attendance underscores Bahrain’s respected standing in global sports circles.
He added that holding the final alongside the Fiba Congress and Hall of Fame Ceremony has drawn the international basketball community’s attention to Bahrain and strengthened its position as a leading nation in sports in general, and basketball in particular.
He thanked Supreme Council for Youth and Sport first deputy chairman, General Sports Authority chairman and BOC president Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa for his support for the sports sector in the kingdom. He noted that this backing serves as a framework for the continued success of national sports federations.
Shaikh Isa noted that Shaikh Khalid remains committed to developing sports locally and internationally, adding that such global events raise local standards and create new opportunities for athletes and officials, boosting Bahrain’s international sporting profile.
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