Al Rayyan emerge as Amir Cup basketball champions

alt
May 22, 2025
basketball
feed type icon
22-May-2025

Al Rayyan emerge as Amir Cup basketball champions

Doha: Al Rayyan clinched the 2024–2025 Amir Cup Basketball Championship after defeating Al Arabi 77–70 in a thrilling final held at the Al Gharafa Indoor Sports Hall on Thursday.

Al Rayyan overcame early pressure from Al Arabi to claim the prestigious crown.

Al Arabi started strong, edging the first period 14-13. Al Rayyan responded by taking a narrow lead in the second period (26-24), but Al Arabi came back in the third quarter with a 20-17 run. In the decisive final period, Al Rayyan dominated with a 21-12 surge, sealing the victory and the championship.

Qatar Basketball Federation (QBF) President Mohammed bin Saad Al Mughaiseeb crowned Al Rayyan as champions in front of a vibrant crowd.

The match featured a standout performance by Al Rayyan’s Abdullah Yassin Musa, who led all scorers with 18 points. Al Arabi’s Abdulrahman Saad and Mustafa Hussein also impressed, each contributing 17 points in a strong but ultimately unsuccessful effort.

With this victory, Al Rayyan have now claimed a record 10 Amir Cup titles, further cementing their status as the most successful team in the tournament’s history. Notably, their dominance began in the inaugural 1999-2000 edition, where they also triumphed over Al Arabi in the final.

Al Mughaiseeb said, “We at the federation are very happy with Al Rayyan’s return to the top of the league. This distinguished club has a long history in Qatari basketball, and its return to winning after years of absence restores balance and strong competition among the clubs.”

He also praised Al Arabi’s performance, saying, “We must commend Al Arabi’s performance this season. They were a fierce and won the league title, the Qatar Cup, and, before that, the Arab Championship, which was hosted by Alexandria. This demonstrates the club’s distinguished administrative and technical work.”

For his part, QBF Secretary-General Saadoun Sabah Al Kuwari praised the high technical level displayed in the Amir Cup final, stressing that the game lived up to expectations in terms of performance, organization, and crowd attendance. “Today’s final was an example of what basketball should be like in Qatar. The performance of both teams was outstanding and the fans were a key partner in the event’s success.”