BEIRUT (Lebanon) - The FIBA Regional Office-Asia has confirmed the schedule of the 2024/2025 FIBA WASL-Gulf League Final Phase on Wednesday, January 22.
Following the end of the Sub-Zone League's Group Phase on Tuesday, January 21, the qualified teams will now be gearing up for the next stage that starts February 3.
A total of six ball clubs have made it to the Final Phase, headlined by perennial contenders Shabab Al Ahli of UAE and newcomers Al Qadsia SC from Kuwait as they booked outright trips to the Semi-Finals after topping their respective groups.
Their opponents will be determined through the Qualification to Semi-Finals, which opens the Gulf League Final Phase and is expected to draw much attention as two of WASL's champions are set to compete.
Inaugural WASL winners Manama, are playing in the Qualification to Semi-Finals for the second time after finishing as the second seed in Group B.
They will be taking on Al Ahli Club in an all-Bahraini affair that begins February 3, where the victorious side are bound to face Shabab Al Ahli in the Semi-Finals.
On the other hand, reigning two-time Gulf League titlists Kuwait Club, who ended up as the no. 2 seed in Group A, find themselves playing in the qualifying round for the first time after punching direct flights to the Semi-Finals in the previous seasons.
They will be facing Ittihad Club of Saudi Arabia, the third-ranked team of Group B, and the two are scheduled to raise the curtains of the Final Phase on February 4 in Kuwait City. The winner of the series will forge a showdown with Qadsia.
The Qualification to Semi-Finals in each FIBA WASL Sub-Zone League will pit the second and third seeds in each group against each other. Teams will play in a best-of-3 series, with the homecourt advantage going to the second-placed clubs.
The winners will then join the teams that topped their respective groups and earned an outright spot in the Semi-Finals which will also be a best-of-3.
Winners will advance to the Final and qualify for the FIBA WASL Final 8, while the losing sides will face off for the two remaining Final 8 spots in a knockout game.
FIBA