Keen battle likely for two semis slots today

The stage is set for a keen battle for the two spots on offer at the 24th GCC Clubs Basketball Championships, being played at the Al Ahli Club's indoor hall.

Defending champions Kuwait Club will face off against strong contenders Ohod from Saudi Arabia, while Group B leaders Al Rayan from Qatar will have to ward off a threat from Bahrain's Al Manama.

"It doesn't matter whom we have to face in the semifinals. It's the same for us as we want to take one game at a time," said Manama coach Ahmed Hamla to the Gulf News after his team's overwhelming result against Oman's Al Seeb.

Manama have won this title on two earlier occasions (1994 and 2001) and their coach is there to ensure they make it a hat-trick in the 24 years of this competition. "I don't see why we cannot advance and aspire for a third title," Hamla stated.

Al Rayan seem to be the favourites following their 86-77 win against Ohod from Saudi Arabia.
"There's nothing like going into the semifinals with the same level of team confidence," remarked Al Rayan's American coach, Willie Charlie Richardson.

"The main aim is to establish continuity and retain the winning touch. So it's irrelevant whether it is a group match or a semifinal," he added.

"They have to just keep their focus and continue winning."

Ohod too would have loved to enter the knockout semifinal stage with a clean record. "There is no weak team. We need to work on certain areas and we will try this out in the semifinals," said Ohod coach John Newman.

Newman is actually new to this team - having been drafted on loan from Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal only for this competition.

"The team has shown a lot of promise and they've improved with every game," Newman stated.
"We hope to go a step clear when we step on the court for our semifinal," he promised.

"It should be a keen battle between the four teams," stated FIBA official Valentin Lazarov, who is the vice president of the technical committee.

"All four teams have an identical standard of play and any team that plays well on the night will advance," Lazarov predicted.