Athletes watching the current Dubai International Basketball Championship matches, which will be held at the Al-Nasr Club hall, and the curtain will fall on it tomorrow evening, considered that the two sides of the final of the 32nd edition will not depart from the representatives of the African and Lebanese basketball. They told “Emirates Today” that: “The levels presented by the representatives of the Lebanese basketball teams and the African basket, especially the Lebanese and African-Tunisian athletes, qualify it to be a party to the final, in light of the capabilities and technical levels that it has provided so far.”
They explained: “The Lebanese and African teams’ possession of international elements with great experience, in addition to the technical levels they presented, qualify them to be a party to the final.”
The star of the national team and the former Al-Wehda club, Hamdan Al-Zoubi, said, “The chances are for everyone, whether Lebanese clubs or those coming from Africa, in light of the upward performance they have presented so far.”
He explained, “Despite the low registration rates in the group stage, for example, compared to the previous versions, the teams did not reveal all their cards until the elimination rounds, which was evident in the quarter-finals, with the Lebanese athlete achieving a deserved victory over the Filipino (Strong Group).”
On the other hand, the Syrian media, Abeer Ali, indicated that the capabilities shown by the Tunisian African and Lebanese sports teams qualified them to reach the final.
And she continued: “Defensive toughness and the height factor are two important elements that qualify the African to continue the journey until the final match, which was evident in his match against the Libyan victory in the quarter-finals, especially with the international player Mohamed Al-Ashi, whose height exceeds the two-meter barrier, and he succeeded in scoring 22 points against Al-Nasr.”
She added, “The same applies to the athlete, who is very popular in Dubai, and has many strong names, the size of playmaker Amir Saud, who has 41 points in the (Strong Group) basket in the quarter-finals, and Wael Arkaji, the best player in Asia.”
The representative of the basketball professionals in the Middle East, Pascal Beiruti, confirmed that the athlete was the closest to winning the title, and said: “Despite the loss he suffered at the end of the group stage against Beirut, the athlete has the keys to play to enhance his chances of adding an eighth title historically.”
He added, “It is not possible to overlook the strength of the African, and the experiences of its international elements, but his task will not be easy in the semi-finals.”
On the other hand, and during the quarter-finals yesterday, the national team left the tournament after losing to Beirut, Lebanon, by a difference of three points, with a score of “73-76”, to set Beirut against its Lebanese sportsman in the semi-finals. Beirut won the advantage of the second and third quarters (19-11 and 20-19), and the team settled for a draw in the first (21-21) and the advantage of the fourth (22-16).
• The national team left the tournament yesterday, in the quarter-final round, after losing to Lebanon’s Beirut, with a score of “73-76”.
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