UAE men finish fourth at the Arab Championship — a national first
The national team took fourth place at the 25th Arab Championship in Cairo, losing the third-place game to Tunisia 73-66. Marko Kristian finished as the tournament's leading scorer.
The UAE national team finished fourth at the 25th Arab Basketball Championship in Cairo, losing 73-66 to Tunisia in the third-place play-off. The Emirates played an outstanding first half and led 32-28, but the third quarter turned the game — Tunisia took it 30-16. A 18-15 fourth quarter for the UAE was not enough to change the outcome.
Qais Omar led the scoring with 23 points, Marko Kristian added 15 and Hamed Abdullatif 13, with three points each from Hassan Abdullah and Mamadou Ndiaye.
The team met its objective for the trip to Cairo — where Egypt won a 13th title — which was preparation for the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers due in February. Fourth place is a strong step for a squad carrying a large group of young players who gained experience that will tell directly in the qualifiers ahead.
The UAE did not leave Cairo without silverware: Kristian, in his first tournament with Al Abyad, was named the 25th edition's leading scorer after an outstanding run.
