Dubai: The huge gap between Lebanon's Al Riyadhi and the remaining five teams in the field for the inaugural 2nd December International Basketball Tournament showed as the Beirut side overwhelmed Arab Clubs Champions Sharjah 106-70 in the final late on Sunday.
But the result really did not really make heads turn as all the other fives sides were well aware what they were up against from the start. "This is Al Riyadhi and, secondly, we were not really prepared for this tournament. But we participated as it was in honour of our country," Sharjah coach Abdul Hamid Ebrahim told Gulf News.
"We tried everything possible to try and match them, and maybe we could have tried to match them if we had all our players present from injuries," the coach added.
Al Riyadhi dominated in all four quarters — leading 26-7, 52-32 and 87-47 — to finish off on a high before heading into a week-long break after which they will start preparing for the second leg of the league back home in Lebanon.
Preparation
"Mentally our players were not prepared for a third match in three days as we would have thought that Champville would have made it for the title fight.
"Lebanese teams are already mid-way through their season while we have just about started ours. So it was always going to be tough against them," Ebrahim said.
"But there are positives and the one I will take any day is the fact that some of our junior players got a chance to prove themselves out there.
"After winning the Arab title the club's management has been keen to ensure we step out for regional competitions and this one was much welcome," the Sharjah coach added.
Al Riyadhi coach Fuad Abu Chakra was pleased to see his 19-time Lebanese champions strike a winning chord once again in Dubai. "We always enjoy playing here. Now for some rest before we start preparing for the second leg of the league and the West Asia Basketball Championship. This win will do a lot for the overall confidence of the team. But what pleased me most was the fact that most of the juniors had a go out there and they corrected their mistakes of Saturday [against Al Shabab]," Abu Chakra noted.
Five of Al Riyadhi's players will now travel to Doha for the Arab Games starting in the Qatari capital later this month, and Abu Chakra will be their coach.
"That will be the next big challenge for us and I am confident we can carry forward this confidence into the Arab Games," the coach added.
Surgery: Jan wins it for president
"This win is for our ailing president [Hesham Jaroudi]. We wish him well and a speedy recovery," exclaimed the man of the final, Jan Abdul Noor, after Al Riyadhi Lebanon thrashed Sharjah Club 106-70 to win the 2nd December International Basketball Tournament late on Sunday.
"Our club president has undergone brain surgery recently and the last we have heard is that he is much better and recovering well," Noor said.
Jaroudi was one of the key components in the set-up as Al Riyadhi won their much anticipated first-ever FIBA Asia Champions Cup final with a 91-82 win over two-time defending champions Mahram in Manila in June this year. Jaroudi had undertaken a gruelling 15-hour flight to Manila to attend the final, and his instant response after the final whistle was to announce a $200,000 bonus for the squad.
Sunday night was no different as the players resorted to some friendly banter between them after receiving the trophy from Abdullah Al Gergawi, President, UAE Basketball Association. "We prepared well for this tournament and I am glad that we could go all the way and win the title for our president," Noor said.
AWARDS
- Best Player: Dewarick Spencer (Al Riyadhi Lebanon)
- Best Scorer: Vincent Jones (Al Shabab Dubai)
- Best 3-Point Shooter: Jasem Mohammad (Sharjah Club)
- Best Manager: Ahmad Joudad (Al Riyadhi Lebanon).
