Team Unity and Barako Bull in show of strength
Eight teams line up for second Al Shabab Basketball Championship
Dubai: Team Unity, a mix of some of the best players from the region and the USA, and Barako Bull from the Philippines will be among the early favourites when the second Al Shabab Basketball Championship gets under way at Al Shabab Club on Friday.
“The participation of Team Unity is something unique not just to this tournament but to the Middle East,” Awad Sami, Tournament Director, told Gulf News at the formal launch of the week-long event here on Monday.
Though based in the US, Team Unity’s objective is to popularize the game by making use of the talent available from a particular region. The side participating in the Al Shabab Basketball Championship has been built around a core group of three Americans, three from Egypt and one apiece from Kuwait, Qatar, Lebanon and Tunisia.
“It’s like a select team of players who play at the highest level with the aim of showcasing the sport of basketball,” Sami added.
Coached by Bong Ramos, Barako Bull is one of the teams in the popular Philippines Basketball Association (PBA).
The second edition of this annual competition — to be held from May 17 to 25 — has brought together eight teams from across Asia and the Middle East including three sides from the UAE.
Hosts Al Shabab, sponsored by Al Sadaf Group of Companies, will join a team from University of Sharjah (UOS) and Team Unity as the three teams from the UAE. The outstation teams include Zamalek from Egypt, Hoops from Lebanon, Al Sahel from Kuwait, Al Ahli from Libya and Barako Bulls from the Philippines.
The competition is scheduled to get under way at 7pm on Friday and the final has been slated for 8pm on May 25. Eight teams divided into two groups with the best two advancing to the knockout quarterfinals on May 22.
A top official from Cars Vehicle Testing Centre, one of the main sponsors of the event hoped their foray into basketball will not be an one-off event. “In the past we have supported cricket tournaments in Dubai and Sharjah and now we felt we should try out a new avenue by backing this basketball tournament,” Guru Murthy, General Manager, Cars Vehicle Testing Centre told Gulf News.
