Hosts beat Bahrain, Qatar edge closer to glory

SHARJAH (15^th GCC Basketball Championship) - Qatar are edging closer to clinching the 15^th GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) Basketball Championship following their 59-40 win over Oman, their third in as many games.

Hosts United Arab Emirates (UAE), meanwhile, recorded their first win after narrowly beating Bahrain 95-92.

The defending champions beat hosts UAE on the opening day before winning a thrilling double-overtime game against Bahrain on Wednesday.

The "Al-Annabis" never looked threatened against Oman at all and by half-time they already had 17-point lead (34-17)

Qatar took their feet off the pedal after the interval but still managed to win by +19 points (59-40).

A win on Saturday against Saudi Arabia will see Qatar clinch the 15^th GCC Basketball Championship and become the first country to qualify for the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup, the new name of the continental FIBA Asia Championship.

After this Championship, Qatar will leave for Tehran, Iran to participate in the 2016 FIBA Asia Challenge. They will play in Group C with hosts I.R. Iran and Iraq.

The top five teams in the FIBA Asia Challenge will earn an extra berth for their respective sub-zones in the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup.

FIBA