Blue Team meets UAE in Asian qualifiers

Kuwait officials: The national basketball team faces its UAE counterpart at 7:00 PM today in its second match of the first window of Group 1 in the preliminary rounds of the West Asia qualifiers for the 2029 Asia Cup, with competitions running until the 31st of this month, at the Al-Ahli Youth Club arena in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

“Blue Basketball” awaits two important matches against Nepal and Bahrain on Friday and Saturday, respectively, in Group 1, which comprises five teams and is played in a single round-robin format, with the top three teams advancing to the second round of the preliminary qualifiers.

“Blue Basketball” previously faced its Omani counterpart late yesterday evening in the opening match of its Asian qualifiers, and Greek coach Vasilis Pratsiakos hopes to secure one of the three available spots to advance with the “Blues” further in the Asia Cup.

On his part, Gazi Al-Otaibi, the treasurer of the federation, stated that “Blue Basketball” enters the Asian window with great ambition and determination to achieve a positive start that enhances its chances of qualifying for the second window. He said: “The team underwent a good preparation period, including a 16-day external camp in Cairo, during which it played five friendly matches, which contributed to raising technical and physical readiness and increasing cohesion among the players.”

Al-Otaibi noted that the competition will not be easy, adding: “Every match is important in the qualification calculations, and I hope the players compete with a high fighting spirit and maintain focus until the final second of each game,” expressing strong confidence in the coaching staff and the players.