8 Arab countries gear-up to compete for the “3x3 Arab Women Basketball Tournament” on Sunday

The first edition of the 3x3 Arab Women’s Basketball Tournament will kick start tomorrow (Sunday) with the participation of 16 clubs from 8 Arab countries. The Tournament will be hosted in Sharjah under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs and wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah.

Titled ‘Above the Rim, We Score,’ the inaugural pan-Arab women basketball competition is being organised by the Women Sport Department (WSD) at Sharjah Ladies Club (SLC) in collaboration with the Arab Basketball Federation, the UAE Basketball Association and Sharjah Sports Council, and will run on till 31 October.

3x3 basketball is a form of the game played with three players on each side and one hoop instead of the normal two. As the first tournament of its type in the Middle East, the 3x3 Arab Women’s Basketball Tournament has generated a great deal of interest among the 3x3 Competitions Commission at the International Basketball Federation, which aims to increase the prevalence and popularity of the game.

Clubs entering the contest with one team are Olympic Club from Algeria, Halabja Club from Iraq, the Lebanese International University Club from Lebanon, the University Student Team from Palestine and the Ministry of Youth and Sports’ team from Bahrain. Clubs that are participating with two teams are the host team Sharjah Ladies Club, The Sporting Club from Egypt, G.S. Petroliers Club from Algeria, Orthodox Club from Jordan and Al Fahees Club, also from Jordan.

Nada Al Naqbi, Director of Women Sports Department in Sharjah, Chairperson of the Women's Committee at the Arab Basketball Federation and Head of the Higher Organising Committee of the tournament, said that the participation of teams from Palestine and Bahrain had given a big boost to the pioneering pan-Arab women tournament, considering that its primary goal is to advance the performance of Arab female players and give them the opportunity to compete globally. The competition has received international accreditation, qualifying Arab women athletes who participate to obtain FIBA recognition as professional international players.  

Al Naqbi said: "The 3x3 Arab Women Basketball Tournament provides Arab athletes with a great opportunity to gain experience, develop their skills and enjoy good natured rivalry with a host of international participants. A successful tournament, along with FIBA's recognition of its players, will motivate Sharjah Ladies Club and other women's clubs in Arab countries to step up and take part in even more regional and international competitions, with the ultimate goal being representation at global championship tournaments."

“The title of the tournament, ‘Above the Rim, We Score,’ is inspired by the rules of the 3x3 basketball game, which sees all players scoring in one basket and sharing a half-court. The objective of our hosting of the competition is to elevate the stature of Arab women athletes and to introduce new games to Sharjah, which we hope will further the spirit of honourable competition as well as broaden opportunities for Arab women to clinch global titles," she added.

Al Naqbi thanked both Sharjah Sports Council for its role as SLC's permanent strategic partner and Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy for sponsoring the event and for advancing women's roles in sport and public life. She also extended special thanks to Sharjah International Airport for the ongoing support it provides for SLC's array of activities and tournaments.

WSD was established in 2008 under a resolution issued by Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al Qasimi. The first-of-its-kind initiative in Sharjah, the department is dedicated to building a distinguished athletic women's community that can compete successfully in regional and international competitions. It works towards this by creating and supervising women's sports teams and ensuring the establishment of an infrastructure that helps achieve desired goals.