MUSCAT: Al Seeb Club emerged victorious in the second Credit Oman Basketball Cup championship, triumphing over Al Bashayer 58-47 in the final at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Bausher on Sunday.
The final was under the auspices by Shaikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Nasser al Nadabi, Secretary-General of the Majlis Ash'shura., in the presence of His Highness Sayyid Malik bin Shihab al Said, President of Al Seeb Club, Engineer Khalfan bin Saleh al Naabi, Chairman of Oman Basketball Association, and Mohammed bin Hilal al Jabri, Sales Director of Credit Company.
The first quarter witnessed a close fight with Al Seeb keeping a solid defence. Al Waqqas al Hinai scored the opening two points from a fast attack. Al Bashayer responded with Bassam al Busaidy making two three-pointers as they led 6-2 and his teammate Osama al Ryami added two points. Al Seeb came into the match with 4 points through Rashid al Zuhaibi, while Zakaria al Wahaibi found a three-pointer as they led 9-8.
The first quarter ended with Al Seeb leading Al Bashayer 14-12.
In the second quarter, both teams continued their offensive efforts, but Al Seeb managed to maintain their lead and extend it with Abdulredha al Battashi's three-pointer, giving them a 22-17 lead. Al Seeb capitalised on their scoring opportunities, adding another three points through Rashid al Zuhaibi. Al Bashayer countered with an impressive three-pointer from Bassam al Busaidy. The competitive intensity continued with each team notching additional points, concluding the first half with Al Seeb leading Al Bashayer 32-22.
The third quarter showcased a back-and-forth exchange, with both teams successfully converting scoring chances. Al Seeb maintained their lead at 39-25. As both teams sought to score from beyond the arc, Hassan al Faraji capitalised on a mistake to add a point for Al Seeb,
while Bassam Al Busaidy contributed two points for Al Bashayer from a similar error. Ahmed al Halali followed with two points, narrowing the gap further. The third quarter ended with Al Seeb keeping lead at 45-39.
The fourth quarter saw an intense showdown between the two teams, with Bassam al Busaidi once again making crucial plays to reduce the deficit. Al Bashayer’s staunch defence held off Al Seeb's attacks for a time, and an error allowed Bassam al Busaidy to score two more points,
bringing the score to 43-45. Al Seeb responded with two points from Rashid al Zuhaibi. Both teams traded blows, and the match concluded with Al Seeb emerging as the victors, defeating Al Bashayer with a final score of 58-47.
CRUCIAL SUPPORT
Shaikh Ahmed al Nadabi, the Secretary-General of the Majlis Ash'shura., commended the technical level of the match and emphasised the importance of such championships in promoting basketball. He also praised Oman Credit Company for their support and encouraged continued support for basketball and other sports from the private sector.
Eng Khalfan al Naabi, expressed gratitude to the participating clubs and Oman Credit Company for their sponsorship. He highlighted the competitive nature of the match and stressed the significance of the championship in preparing Omani players for future competitions. He
acknowledged the success of the championship and looked forward to its continuation, suggesting areas for improvement in future editions through the evaluation by the Oman Basketball Association.
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