Syrian Basketball Club Bows Out of Arab Championship After Loss to Kuwaiti Club Kazma

Syrian basketball team Al-Wahda crashed out of the Arab Club Championship after losing a nail-biting match 77-80 to Kuwait's Kazma on Thursday. The defeat marked the end of Syria's participation in the tournament, which runs until October 6 at Dubai's Al Nasr Club.

Kazma secured their victory by winning three of the four quarters. They took the first quarter 21-18, lost the second 18-22 to Al-Wahda, then bounced back to win the third 20-17 and sealed the deal with a 21-20 fourth quarter. The three-point margin shows just how close this elimination match was.

Syria's basketball hopes had already taken a hit on Wednesday when another Syrian team, Homs Al-Fida, was knocked out by Lebanon's Al-Antouni in an even tighter contest that ended 98-97. That single-point loss meant Syrian teams were hanging by a thread going into Thursday's matches.

The tournament's other Round of 16 matches on Thursday were less dramatic. Qatar's Al-Arabi, the defending champions, crushed Oman's Al-Bashaer 111-83. Qatar's Al-Rayyan also had an easy day, beating Yemen's Al-Mina 110-76.

Teams get a break on Friday before the quarterfinals kick off Saturday. The action starts at 2 PM with Bahrain's Al-Manama facing Kuwait's Kazma. At 4 PM, Lebanon's Al-Antouni takes on Qatar's Al-Arabi in what could be the most competitive match of the round.

The quarterfinal schedule wraps up with Qatar's Al-Rayyan against Kuwait's Al-Kuwait at 6 PM, followed by Libya's Ahli Tripoli against either Lebanon's Al-Hikma or Oman's Al-Seeb. That final Round of 16 match is still pending.

For Syrian basketball, this tournament represented a chance to compete at the highest Arab club level. But two heartbreaking losses by tiny margins show how competitive this championship has become. The remaining teams now battle for a title that Qatar's Al-Arabi will defend as they seek back-to-back championships.