Al Bashayer crowned champions of Credit Oman Cup

Muscat, Oct 17

Al Bashayer clinched the title of the third edition of the 2024 Credit Oman Basketball Cup after a thrilling 68-65 victory over Seeb in the final. The match took place at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Bausher, under the auspices of Eng Yaqoub bin Khalfan al Busaidy, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources for Fisheries. The event was also attended by Khalfan al Naabi, Chairman of the Oman Basketball Association, and Mohammed al Jabri, Senior Sales Manager at Credit Oman.

The match started with both teams exchanging quick attacks in the first three minutes without either gaining a clear lead. Osama al Riyami opened the scoring for Al Bashayer with a two-pointer from under the basket, answered by Rashid al Zuheibi from Seeb to level the score at 2-2. Al Bashayer pulled ahead 6-2 thanks to Hadeed Beit Bakhit’s points. Seeb narrowed the gap through Rashid al Zuheibi, but Mahmoud al Souli hit a three-pointer to close the first quarter with a 15-11 lead for Al Bashayer.

In the second quarter, Al Bashayer maintained control while Seeb struggled with missed opportunities. Rashid al Zuheibi scored the first two points for Seeb, but Al Bashayer extended their lead through Hadeed Beit Bakhit and Bassam al Busaidi, making it 19-13. As both teams exchanged attacks, Al Bashayer widened the gap to 31-15 with a successful three-pointer by Ahmed al Halhuli. Despite Seeb's efforts to reduce the deficit, Al Bashayer ended the first half leading 38-25.

During the third quarter, Al Bashayer kept their momentum, adding four more points through Hadeed Beit Bakhit and Osama al Riyami to take a 42-25 lead. Seeb responded with five points from Noah al Amri and Abdulrahman al Shaibi, but Al Bashayer regained control with a three-pointer by Osama al Riyami. The third quarter ended with Al Bashayer leading 49-32.

The fourth quarter saw a strong comeback from Seeb, who managed to reduce the gap and even took a brief two-point lead at certain moments. However, Al Bashayer fought back to tie the score 56-56 at the end of regular time. The match then moved to overtime, where the excitement continued until Al Bashayer secured a three-point victory, 68-65.

The match was officiated by international referee Issam al Siyabi, with Rashid al Mashifri and Ali al Salmani as assistant referees. Table duties were handled by Maryam al Zadjalia, Mahmoud al Ajmi, and Fatima al Harthy.

Following the game, Yaqoub al Busaidi, Khalfan al Naabi, and Mohammed al Jabri awarded Al Bashayer the championship trophy and gold medals, while Seeb received the runners-up trophy and silver medals. The participating clubs were honoured, and a commemorative gift was presented to the event’s sponsor and Credit Oman in appreciation of their support.

Khalfan al Naabi described the match as exciting, noting the close competition between the two teams, which led to the need for overtime to determine the winner. He emphasised that the Credit Oman Cup serves as an essential preparatory event ahead of the league season, helping to boost the confidence of Omani players by giving them full participation opportunities, contributing to their technical and physical development.

Al Naabi also mentioned that the Oman Basketball Association aims to launch new tournaments to increase competition, such as the Ministry's Shield Tournament. He stressed the importance of balancing tournaments with the capabilities of the clubs and the association, noting other competitions like the youth leagues, the girls' league, and the 3x3 basketball tournaments.