The 38th Arab Club Basketball Championship kicked off on October 9 in Lebanon with 12 teams competing under the auspices of the Arab Basketball Confederation. Sulaibikhat earned a hard-fought 77-76 win against Shaab Hadramout after trailing at halftime and mounting a comeback in the later quarters. According to tournament records, the competition hosted by Al-Hikma runs through October 20 with the top four teams from each of the two groups advancing to quarterfinals beginning October 18.
Sulaibikhat shares Group B with Qatar’s Al-Arabi, Lebanon’s Hoops and Beirut, Yemen’s Shaab Hadramout and Syria’s Homs Al-Fida. The Kuwaiti side will next face Beirut on Sunday in a contest that delegation head Ayman Al-Anzi described as demanding given the balanced nature of the group. KUNA reported that Beirut opened with an 89-70 victory over Homs Al-Fida on the first day of play.
Al-Anzi said the team arrived in Beirut well prepared after training sessions focused on exploiting opponent weaknesses. The manager added that Sulaibikhat aims to challenge for top positions and deliver consistent performances across its five group matches. He noted in comments distributed by the organizing committee that no team holds a significant edge in Group B.
The championship represents the region’s premier club competition and follows the 2024 edition staged in Alexandria where Qatar’s Al-Arabi claimed the title according to Arab Basketball Confederation archives. This year’s event brings together clubs from seven nations and is staged at Antoine Choueiri Stadium in Ghazir north of Beirut. Organizers have scheduled the final for October 20 following knockout rounds on October 18 and 19.
Group A features host Al-Hikma alongside Lebanon’s Centralia, Syria’s Ahli Aleppo, Oman’s Al-Seeb, Qatar’s Al-Rayyan and Bahrain’s Manama. Sulaibikhat will continue its schedule against Homs Al-Fida on Monday before meeting Al-Arabi on October 14 and Hoops on October 16. The Kuwaiti club travels with a full delegation led by Al-Anzi who serves as both head and team manager.
Participation in the Arab championship provides Kuwaiti teams with exposure to diverse playing styles prevalent across the region. Al-Anzi stated that the squad remains focused on building momentum from the opening win to secure qualification for the knockout phase. Confederation officials have emphasized the event’s role in elevating standards of club basketball throughout member nations.
