Al Arabi players and officials celebrate after winning the Arab Clubs Men’s Basketball title.
Doha: Qatar’s Al Arabi SC secured their maiden Arab Clubs Men’s Basketball title, triumphing over Egypt’s Al Ittihad 81-71 in the final of the 36th edition of the prestigious tournament, in Alexandria, Egypt.
Led by a stellar performance from Mustafa Rashed (Mosty) who scored 29 points, and supported by Victor Rudd who added 27, Al Arabi finally ended Al Ittihad’s hopes of winning an eighth title.
By doing so, Al Arabi also became the second Qatari team to ever win the Arab title, with Al Rayyan being the only other side to achieve the same feat back in 2014.
After the historic victory, Al Arabi Club Chairman Sheikh Tamim bin Fahd Al Thani expressed his immense pride in the team’s achievement.
“What we have achieved is the result of collective effort and dedication from all team members, whether players or technical and administrative staff - being the second Qatari club to lift the Arab Clubs Men’s Basketball Championship title after Al Rayyan makes us strive for more achievements in the future. I would also like to dedicate this achievement to our loyal fans who have supported us throughout the journey,” the Club Chairman said.
Al Arabi's Mustafa Rashed (left) and Mustafa Fouda won the won the Most Valuable Player of the tournament and Top Scorer awards respectively.
Al Arabi’s Tunisian coach Hatem Mamlouk praised his players for their dedication and resilience throughout the Championship.
“Winning the Arab title was not a coincidence but the result of months of planning and hard work,” Mamlouk said.
“This team has proven they can compete with the best in the Arab world, and I couldn’t be prouder.” A jubilant Mamlouk said.
Al Arabi’s path to the championship was not an easy one.
The Qatari side suffered a 93-79 defeat to Al Ittihad in the group stage, but that was their only defeat in the 12-team tournament.
Al Arabi defeated the Kuwaiti team Kazma with a score of 87-80 to reach the title clash, while Al Ittihad advanced to the final with an 83-72 win over Sporting. In their quarter-final clash, Al Arabi beat fellow Qatari team Al Gharafa 93-73, while Kazma advanced to the semi-final after defeating Al Qadsiah with a score of 88-77.
In addition to the title triumph, Al Arabi players’ individual brilliance was also recognised at the end of the Championship, with Rashed being named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament, while his teammate Mustafa Fouda won the Top Scorer award.
In the third-place play-off, Sporting of Egypt defeated Kazma SC 95-76.
