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In Abu Dhabi, Lebanese basketball is testing itself full scale: Riyadi Beirut, Lebanese champion, and Champville are taking the start of a tough tournament (29 September–5 October) against national champions and seasoned outfits from Asia and the Gulf.
Under the aegis of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, with the supervision of the Emirati Federation and the organization of al-Wahda in partnership with Global Active Sports, the second edition of the Abu Dhabi International Basketball Championship sets up in the indoor hall of the al-Jazira club. Eight clubs make up a cosmopolitan field. The games will be broadcast on Abu Dhabi Sports Channel.
Format
The tournament brings together two groups of four. Each team plays three group-stage matches in a single leg; the top two qualify for the semi-finals, then on to the final for the title.
The Groups
Group A brings together Riyadi Beirut, TNT, Sharjah (United Arab Emirates champion) and al-Dhafra. Group B fields al-Wahda, Astana (Kazakhstan champion), Champville and al-Qurain (Kuwait).
Lebanese Focus
Riyadi moves forward in the role of the boss. The champion of Lebanon comes to settle its systems and gauge bench depth against contrasting styles: the speed and perimeter of TNT, the collective rigor of Sharjah and the tenacity of al-Dhafra. Beyond the scoreboard, the aim is to install automatisms and adjust the cursor between outside creation and inside presence, notably at the ends of quarters.
Champville approaches the competition as a determined outsider. Housed with the host al-Wahda and with the regional reference Astana, the Lebanese club knows that the margin for error is slim. The axis of progress runs through defensive discipline — control of the rebound, limitation of second chances — and the ability to trigger clean transition to punish opponents’ defensive retreats. Against al-Qurain, an inaugural win would offer the necessary momentum toward the last four.
What Lebanese Basketball Is Aiming for
This week serves as a launch pad before the domestic season and the regional appointments. The staffs want to test the rotations under real pressure, validate the level of physical intensity and refine tactical responses against varied schools of play — Philippine cadence, Kazakh density and Emirati structures. Battles on the boards and game-tempo management will be key indicators, as will execution on inbounds and after time-out plays.
First-Round Schedule (Beirut Time)
Monday, September 29
• 13:30 — Al-Qurain (KOW) vs Astana (KAZ)
• 15:30 — Al-Wahda (UAE) vs Champville (LIB)
• 17:45 — Riyadi Beirut (LIB) vs al-Dhafra (UAE)
• 20:00 — TNT (PHI) vs Sharjah (UAE)
Tuesday, September 30
• 17:45 — Champville (LIB) vs al-Qurain (KOW)
• 20:00 — Al-Dhafra (UAE) vs TNT (PHI)
Wednesday, October 1
• 13:30 — Al-Qurain (KOW) vs al-Wahda (UAE)
• 15:30 — Sharjah (UAE) vs al-Dhafra (UAE)
• 17:45 — Champville (LIB) vs Astana (KAZ)
• 20:30 — Riyadi Beirut (LIB) vs TNT (PHI)
Thursday, October 2
• 15:00 — Astana (KAZ) vs al-Wahda (UAE)
• 17:45 — Sharjah (UAE) vs Riyadi Beirut (LIB)
Expected Verdict
More than a trophy, Abu Dhabi offers a full-scale thermometer. If Riyadi confirms its status and if Champville rises to the level of a coveted last four, Lebanese basketball will attack the season with additional certainties and reinforced credit on the regional chessboard. One week to size itself up, convince and send a strong first signal.
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