Prosecution to meet Municipality in NAS wheelchair basketball final
Keen tussle as defending champions prepare for final
Dubai: Salah Ahmad of Dubai Public Prosecution is hoping his team will be fourth time lucky when they meet Dubai Municipality in the final of the Seventh NAS Wheelchair Basketball Championship that is scheduled to conclude later this week.
After finishing runners-up on the previous three occasions, this is the fourth straight appearance in the final for the Prosecution team following a 38-19 win over Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) in Sunday’s semi-finals. Defending champions Dubai Municipality prevailed 37-31 over Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services and set up a repeat of last year’s final, where the men from Dubai Municipality cruised to a 63-46 result.
“We are determined to win the title this time,” said Ahmad, who finished as the top-scorer of the tournament on the previous three seasons.
“We have played three consecutive finals and we have lost every time. This is our time and we are really determined and focused to win this year. We have taken every match seriously, right from the first game and all our players are ready to win it this time.
“I have won the title of the top-scorer for three years, but winning an individual honour without the team title is not as much fun. This time I want to win the cup along with the top-scorer’s title.”
Meanwhile, Uncle Saeed beat Mondia 2-0 to successfully defend their team padel title, while Valencia got the better of SHM for the third place. The Uncle Saeed team, whose patron is Shaikh Saeed Bin Maktoum Bin Juma Al Maktoum, President of UAE Padel Association, won the first tie 6-2, 6-2 and then drubbed Mondia 6-0, 6-0 in the second.
Results
Futsal
Group A: Saudi Driving School drew with F16 2-2; Group B: Dubai Police drew with Al Taher 2-2; Al Bahri bt Tolerance 7-1.
Padel
Team Championship Final: Uncle Saeed bt Mondia 6-2, 6-2 and 6-0, 6-0. Third Place: Valencia bt SHM 6-2, 6-1.
Wheelchair Basketball
Semi-finals: Dubai Municipality bt Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services 37-31; Dubai Public Prosecution bt Dubai Electricity and Water Authority 38-19