BEIRUT (Asia) - Basketball in West Asia is about to get lit this year with dates for the WABA Champions Cup 2018 & WABA U18 Championship 2018 set in stone.

The WABA Champions Cup 2018 will take place in Baghdad, Iraq from 12-16 March. This is a groundbreaking development, since it's the first time Iraq is hosting a major basketball event since 1988.

Al Shaab Gymnasium in Baghdad will host the 2018 WABA Champions Cup

The 18th edition of the Champions Cup pits the best club teams from all across West Asia. The defending champions of the tournament are Al-Riyadi Beirut of Lebanon, which beat Petrochimi of Iran, 83-69, in last year's Final in Amman, Jordan. 

The Prince Hamza Arena in Amman will host the U18 WABA Championship

As for the WABA U18 Championship, the games will be played at the Prince Hamza Arena in Amman, Jordan, and it will take place from 11-15 February. The best teams from that competition will represent WABA at the FIBA U18 Asia Championship later this year.

In the last WABA U18 Championship, Iran, Iraq and Lebanon emerged as the top three teams and advanced to the FIBA U18 Asia Championship 2016, which was won by Iran.

FIBA