Lieutenant General M. Ismail Al-Qarqawi, President of the Arab and UAE Basketball Federations, congratulated Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the First Deputy President of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports in Bahrain, President of the General Sports Authority, and President of the Olympic Committee, on the victory of Manama in winning the Asian Super League basketball title and qualifying for the continental championship finals after defeating the Kuwaiti team in the final match hosted by Shabab Al-Ahli Club. Al-Qarqawi also thanked Sheikh Khalid for his directives to allocate a plane to transport Bahraini fans to Dubai to support Manama in the final.
Al-Qarqawi invited Bahraini teams and clubs to participate in Arab championships as well as the competitions organized by the Arab Federation, stating that Bahraini basketball has achieved significant successes on both the Gulf and Asian levels and enjoys a large and remarkable fan presence, which helps the success of any tournament hosted by the Kingdom of Bahrain. Speaking about the West Asian Championship that featured the top eight teams, he said, "Manama deserved the title, presenting outstanding performances, crowned by finishing in first place and advancing to the finals," praising the performance of both teams in the final match and the excitement that extended until the last minutes, confirming that Arab basketball has established its star power in this major continental gathering.
Regarding his evaluation of the results of Shabab Al-Ahli, the representative of the UAE, Al-Qarqawi stated that "the team faced very difficult circumstances just days before the tournament began which affected their results and their distance from the competition, represented by the forced changes in foreign professionals after one was injured and the other had to travel due to personal circumstances, in addition to the return of Qais Omar, one of the team's main pillars, from a long injury absence, which disrupted team cohesion."
Al-Qarqawi attended the final day and presented the silver medals to Kuwait, the second-place winner. He also took the opportunity to congratulate Sheikh Isa bin Ali, Undersecretary of the Bahraini Cabinet Affairs, Deputy President of the Olympic Committee, and former President of the Basketball Federation, on Manama's victory in the Asian Super League. Following his call with the Bahraini official, he remarked that the game in the brotherly kingdom has developed significantly due to the attention of officials, the federation, and clubs towards this sport, as well as the employment of elite global coaches and foreign players, adding that Bahraini clubs and teams will have great significance in upcoming Arab and continental tournaments.
