BASKETBALL – Bahrain representatives Riffa yesterday powered into the quarter-finals of the 3x3 Morocco Tour – a Quest-level event being held in Casablanca as part of this year’s Fiba 3x3 World Tour.
Riffa secured their spot in the elite eight after winning both their Pool A games in the competition’s preliminary round.
They first ousted Toulouse from France 21-16 and then outclassed their hometown rivals Marrakech Hoops 21-12.
Those results earned them first place overall in their group’s standings.
Riffa are competing in the tournament with a quartet that includes Belgian nationals Dennis Donkor, Jonas Foerts, and Vic van Oosterwyck, while completing their roster is Bahraini basketball star Mohammed Kowayed.
They now await their opponents in the quarters, which are scheduled to be held today along with the other knockout stages.
There were six pools in all in yesterday’s opening phase. Following a single round-robin, the top-placed teams from Pools A, B, C, and D moved directly to the last eight.
The winners from Pools E and F, along with the runners-up from all six pools, form an eight-team play-off round that will compete today for the remaining quarter-final places.
Pool B featured Hangzhou from China, As Far and CSYG Hommes from Morocco; Pool C was composed of Marijampole Mantinga from Lithuania and Moroccan sides AUI and The Tribe; Pool D included Sao Paulo DC from Brazil and host nation outfits ASSA Maroc Hommes and Baa Makna; Pool E comprised Les Guepards from Benin, Lugano Casa Pol from Switzerland, and Lions from Morocco; and Pool F featured Famous from Togo, along with Union Team and Alliance Team, both Moroccan sides.
The 3x3 Morocco Tour Quest event acts as a qualifier for the higher-tier Macau Masters, scheduled for October 18 and 19 on the Fiba 3x3 World Tour.
Meanwhile, Bahrain’s other outfit on the Fiba 3x3 World Tour, Seef, were handed an early exit last night from the Debrecen Masters in Hungary.
Seef were eliminated from further title contention after losing their two games in Pool A of the preliminaries – first a 14-21 defeat to Amsterdam Rabobank of the Netherlands and then an 8-22 loss to Lausanne of Switzerland.
Seef, who are competing in their maiden season on the Fiba 3x3 World Tour, played in the Hungarian competition with Bahrainis Sayed Mohammed Hameed, Sadeq Shukrallah, and Nasser Al Mosawi, along with Serbian Bogdan Dragovic.
They were part of a 12-team field in the opening stage. Pool B comprised Liman of Serbia, Skyliners from Germany, and home side Debrecen; Pool C featured Raudondvaris Hoptrans of Lithuania, Valencia of Spain, and Partizan of Serbia; and Pool D was composed of Marbella of Spain, Vienna of Austria, and London of the US.
The Fiba 3x3 World Tour is the premier street basketball series under the International Basketball Federation (Fiba), which holds events around the world with participating teams representing cities.
This year’s calendar will head to Bahrain for the season-finale, scheduled for November 21 and 22.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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