"Shabab Al-Salla" loses to Oman in the "Gulf Cup"
Hadi Al-AnziOur national youth basketball team (under-18) lost to their Omani counterparts 59-62 in their opening match of the Gulf Youth Basketball Championship, which serves as a qualifier for the Asian Cup finals. The encounter took place yesterday evening at the Al-Gharafa Club gymnasium in Doha, the Qatari capital.
Competition continues on the second day of the tournament, with two matches scheduled today. At 4:00 p.m., our national team will face Bahrain, the Arab champions in the last edition held in Cairo, Egypt, in a tough matchup against a strong team known for its skill and the exceptional height of most of its players. The second match, at 6:00 p.m., will see host nation Qatar take on Saudi Arabia.
Returning to the clash between the “Blue Youth” and Oman, the former dominated in play and result throughout all quarters. Led by team captain Adam Asadallah and standout players Ahmed Al-Rashid and Omar Murad “Barclay,” the Blue Youth secured a nine-point lead in the first quarter (22-13).
In the second quarter, Serbian coach Marko Icelic and his assistant Yahya Al-Bahr deployed a rotation policy, bringing in more players to rest the starters and preserve their energy for the remaining quarters. Players such as Faraj Al-Faraj, Omar Al-Saleh, Abdullah Al-Jarid, and Ali Al-Hindal, who had started the game, were given minutes. This strategy allowed the Blue Youth to maintain their advantage, ending the first half with an 11-point lead (40-29).
The third quarter was closely contested, with the Blue Youth scoring 14 points and Oman responding with 16, leaving the score at 54-45 in favor of the Blue Youth.
Oman, referred to as the “Reds,” threw all their weight into the decisive fourth quarter, managing to tie the game at 55 points apiece. In the final moments, Oman secured its first lead of the match, 61-59, and ultimately won by three points. A key reason for the loss by the youth basketball team appears to be the high number of missed three-point shots in the final quarter.
