KUWAIT CITY, July 27: The head of the Kuwaiti Basketball Association, Dhari Burjas, confirmed that all technical and organizational preparations are complete for the launch of the Asian Youth Cup qualifiers for the Gulf region (under 18 years old), which is set to begin tomorrow in Kuwait. The tournament will feature teams from Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, and Qatar, in addition to the host nation, Kuwait, and will last for five days.

Burjas, who also heads the organizing committee for the championship, announced in a press statement that the Federation Hall in Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Sports Complex for Indoor Halls is fully prepared to host this Gulf sporting event. He highlighted the cooperation of the Public Authority for Sports with the committee, which ensured the successful completion of all arrangements for the championship.

He noted that the delegations of the participating teams began arriving in the country, with all arrivals completed yesterday in preparation for the start of the qualifiers. On the first day, the Kuwaiti national team will face Bahrain, while the Saudi team will play against Oman. The teams finishing in the first and second places will qualify for the Asian Championship scheduled to take place in Jordan next September.

Burjas emphasized the remarkable development of Gulf basketball in recent years, both at the national and club levels, which has made the region a strong competitor in Arab and Asian championships. He expects the tournament to feature intense competition as teams vie for the two qualification spots for the continental championship.

He also confirmed that the Kuwaiti players are ready to perform at their best in these crucial qualifiers following their recent training camp in Turkey. Burjas welcomed the Gulf delegations to Kuwait, expressing his hospitality and support.

The technical staff of the Kuwaiti national team, led by Bahraini coach Salman Ramadan, has selected 12 players to represent the (Blue Youth) in this important event. The squad includes Adel Al-Saeed, Ali Al-Shehab, Mohammed Al-Dahes, Talal Fahd, Hamza Asad Allah, Adam Asad Allah, Adnan Adhbiah, Ahmed Al-Rashid, Abdulaziz Al-Muslim, Rashid Al-Rashid, Abdulaziz Al-Qattan, and Wael Al-Enezi.