BEIRUT (Lebanon) - Maintaining their respective positions would be the main objective as Ittihad Club and Kuwait Club headline the 2025-26 FIBA West Asia Super League's (WASL) resumption after the Holiday break.
The two are currently leading their groups in the Gulf League with 3-1 records and they'd want to keep it that way, with the Group Phase entering its crucial stretch as teams are jockeying for position for the Final Phase.
Ittihad Club will tip off this week's WASL return by hosting Kazma at the Green Basketball Court, looking to keep their mastery of the Kuwaiti side whom they had previously beaten, 92-81, on the road last October 27.
The Tigers are also keen on building another winning streak. They're coming off an 85-82 victory over Shabab Al Ahli in Saudi Arabia last December 8 to complete a sweep of the reigning Sub-Zone League titlists in Group A.
While they've been one of the top teams, the same can't be said with Kazma. They're in the midst of a three-game skid, the most recent of which a 92-64 rout to Muharraq - the team they actually beat in their season debut.
But the upcoming rematch would actually be a clash between injured sides. Ittihad, for one, will miss lead big man Mohammed Almarwani for a significant amount of time due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).
Kazma, on the other hand, won't have key cogs Abdulrahman Alshammari and Abdulaziz Mohsen as the two went down one after the other due to Achilles injuries during their local league play before 2025 came to a close.
Meanwhile, Kuwait Club will look to complete a repeat for themselves when they lock horns once again with Al Ula Club on Tuesday night at the latter's own lair at the Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Hall in Medina.
It could be recalled that the two-time WASL-Gulf League winners reigned triumphant in their first encounter last October 28 in Kuwait City, a 113-108 decision in which Jamal Jones spearheaded the strong finish.
That was actually Kuwait Club's first win of the season, and proved to be what they needed to steady their ship. They've gone on to win their next two matches to head into the break riding a three-game streak.
As a result, they are now sitting atop Group B, and winning once more against the Arabian Leopards would not only maintain their spot but boost their chances as well of booking an outright ticket to the Semi-Finals.
They will try to do so against a team that's been on a roller-coaster ride. Al Ula are toting an even 2-2 card as of the moment, and are coming off a 101-100 defeat at the hands of Sharjah SC at home last December 9.
So heartbreaking was that loss as they were just 16 seconds away from escaping narrowly, but DeMarco Dickerson proved to be a thorn in their side after converting the game-winning four-point play off a Wael Arakji foul.
That's why fans and observers are curious to see how Al Ula would respond from that result, especially with an old tormentor standing in their way of finding redemption - and in keeping their Final Phase aspirations alive.
Aside from the WASL-Gulf League, the WASL-West Asia League competitions are set to return to action this week in Iran and Lebanon, respectively. To know more about their upcoming schedule, click here.
FIBA