Gulf League's three best teams formalize seats in FIBA WASL Final 8

BEIRUT (Lebanon) - The FIBA West Asia Super League (WASL) Final 8 cast is nearing completion as entries of the Gulf's three best teams have been formalized.

Shabab Al Ahli-Dubai completed the Sub-Zone's contingent on Monday night, joining Kuwait Club and Manama to the much-anticipated cagefest in June. 

Manama were the first to make it after beating Al Hilal in the Semi-Finals, sweeping their way into the Gulf Final in what has been a magical turnaround for a team that has grown into a dreaded contender during the course of the Final Phase.

 
Following the Bahraini champions to the Big Dance were Kuwait Club, who dashed Shabab Al Ahli's Gulf title hopes by also bringing the brooms out in the Semis.

 
The crew is coming into the best-of-3 finale undefeated -- in all of FIBA WASL -- with an immaculate 8-0 record overall, the first six of which coming from their sweep of the Group Phase that enabled them to book a direct flight to the Semis.

Shabab Al Ahli would then catch the last Final 8 ticket via Gulf by taking down Al Hilal in the Third-Place Game through an 88-76 win, indeed a sweet reward for a team that got hampered by injuries to key cogs in the middle of the season.

The three will join West Asia sides Al Riyadi, Gorgan, and the winner between Beirut Club and ZobAhan on Thursday to the June tournament, where they will also be meeting the domestic league champions of India and Kazakhstan.

The two best teams by the end of the Final 8 will qualify for the FIBA Asia Champions Cup, a pathway to FIBA's highest club competition that is the Intercontinental Cup.

FIBA