Al-mukalla: Shab Hadramout team claimed the title of the Republic Basketball Cup for the 2024-2025 season after a hard-fought victory over Al-Mina'a Aden, 69-64, in the third and decisive final match held today at the Shab Hadramout Indoor Sports Hall in Al-Mukalla.
According to Yemen News Agency, the third final showcased intense competition and high-level performance from both teams from the opening moments until the final whistle, highlighting the beauty of basketball amid a large crowd that filled the stands and surrounding areas of the sports hall.
The teams split the results of the four quarters, with a closely contested game throughout. The home team won the first quarter 21-12, while Al-Mina'a claimed the second quarter 14-13, benefiting from the deep positioning of their Ivorian professional player against Shab Hadramout's defense. Al-Mina'a extended their advantage in the third quarter, winning it 22-16.
At the start of the fourth and final decisive quarter, Al-Mina'a maintained their lead, prompting Shab Hadramout players to step up their efforts. The Palestinian professional on their team shone with crucial three-pointers, allowing the home team to take the quarter 19-16, securing a 69-64 victory and stripping Al-Mina'a of the championship they had won last season.
The first two matches of the finals series had ended in a tie, 1-1. Shab Hadramout won the first match last Thursday 63-55, while Al-Mina'a won yesterday, Friday, 69-58. The decisive third match today crowned Shab Hadramout as the Republic Cup champions. The tournament, organized by the Yemen Basketball Federation, featured 16 teams from various governorates of the Republic and was held in two phases.
For the first time in the history of Yemeni basketball championships, the final was held as a best-of-three series, with the team winning two games taking the title.
Following the match, the President of the Yemen Basketball Federation, Abdul Sattar Al-Hamdani, his deputy and Head of the Organizing Committee for the Final Phase, Anwar Abdul Daem, along with several sports officials, awarded Shab Hadramout the Republic Cup and gold medals, and Al-Mina'a the runner-up cup and silver medals.
Individual awards were also presented: Nasser Farhan of Al-Mina'a received the Top Scorer award; Ahmed Fahd Badahman of Shab Hadramout was named Best Player of the tournament; Al-Mina'a's Palestinian professional, Jamal Mansour Miyali, won Best Foreign Player; Ziyad Saleh of Al-Tilal and Mohamed Bauzir of Shibam Hadramout received Best Young Player awards; and Shab Hadramout coach Hisham Hajira was named Best Coach of the tournament.
With this, the Yemen Basketball Federation concluded its 2024-2025 sports season, which was marked by numerous championships and activities across different levels and age groups.