Dubai: The UAE national basketball team will take on Champville of Lebanon in their first match in the 18th Dubai Basketball International Tournament (Rhino's Cup) at Al Ahli Club's Maktoum Bin Mohammad Indoor Sports Hall.
The event will be under the patronage of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice- President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
The UAE's match will be the second one, on the opening day.
The first match between Al Riyadhy club of Lebanon and Al Jala club of Syria will start at 7pm. The UAE match will begin at 9pm.
The eight teams in the 18th edition are divided into two groups. Group A includes Bluestars Club (Lebanon), sponsored by Emirates airlines, Al Riyadhy Club (Lebanon), sponsored by Steelfab, Mahran Club (Iran), sponsored by Qanat Al Qasba in Sharjah and Al Jala Club (Syria) sponsored by Nooran Lighting.
Group B includes the UAE national team, sponsored by Dubai Financial Market, Fast Link Club (Jordan), sponsored by Dubai Duty Free, Naval Academy sponsored by Sama Group Companies and Champville club (Lebanon) sponsored by Rhino's.
Each group play a round robin league with all teams qualifying for the quarterfinals which will be held on a knock-out basis until the final, which will be held on January 12.
The winner gets gold medals and the trophy, the runners-up will receive silver medals and the third bronze medals.
The draw was held yesterday at the tournament's venue in the presence of Esmail Al Gergawi, Basketball Association Board Chairman, Abdullah Al Ansari, secretary general, and the sponsoring companies' representatives. The trophy was presented during the press meet. Al Gergawi said that it is a new trophy made especially for the DBIT. It has a weight of 25kg and is made of pure crystal.
