DUBAI (UAE) – Hosts UAE and fellow Gulf powerhouse Bahrain each cruised to their third win in the competition in Group A of the FIBA Asia Cup 2029 Pre-Qualifiers at Shabab Al Ahli Stadium on Sunday, their triumphs not only guaranteeing them a place in the Second Round also taking along another Gulf outfit Kuwait to the next stage.
Bahrain defeated Nepal 105-71 and UAE overwhelmed Oman 115-89, the losers suffering their third successive defeat and thus bowing out of contention for a top-three finish.
Smarting under the heartbreaking defeat they suffered at the hands of Bahrain Friday night, UAE came in all guns blazing and raked up a substantial lead in a jiffy.
Their confidence only grew as the game progressed as did the lead on the scoreboard.
Omer Alameri returned a record-breaking night firing in 12 three-pointers, a mark that bettered the 11 three-pointers scored by Bahrain’s Ahmed Haji in the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers against Syria in Nov 2024.
The Shabab Al Ahli veteran forward finished with 42 points.
Abdul-Rahman Al-Shaaibi’s 24 points led Oman.
Bahrain coach Slobodan Subotic gave his entire team a feel of the court for at least seven minutes each and all of them scored.
Young and upcoming Somto Patrick Onoduenyi made the most of the opportunity with a double-double of 22 points and 16 rebounds.
Nischal Maharjan’s had the consolation of scoring a game-high 29 points for Nepal.
Bahrain will certainly not have it this easy when they go up against Kuwait on Monday, a game that will decide the final order of teams in the Group.
FIBA