KUWAIT CITY, April 18: Kazma’s basketball team secured a playoff match against Al-Qadisiya in the semi-finals of the Basketball League Championship by defeating them 83-79 in a tense game held at the Al-Ittihad Hall in the Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Sports Complex. Meanwhile, Kuwait Club advanced to the final round after their Arab counterpart withdrew from the competition, citing dissatisfaction with the referee’s assignment.
In the first playoff match, Al-Qadisiya emerged victorious with a score of 85-81, necessitating a decisive game scheduled for next week. This victory marks Kazma’s first win over Al-Qadisiya this season, breaking a streak of five consecutive defeats.
The match between the “Orange” and “Yellow” teams was characterized by intense competition from the outset, with both teams exchanging leads throughout the first quarter, which ended in favor of Al-Qadisiya 17-16.
The second quarter saw both teams jostling for dominance until the final minutes when Kazma’s American professional player excelled in scoring, giving his team a 39-33 lead at halftime.
Al-Qadisiya staged a comeback in the third quarter, led by their American players, Lowry and Tiran, who contributed inside and outside scoring, ending the quarter with a narrow 64-61 lead for the Yellow team. The fourth quarter witnessed a seesaw battle, but Kazma won the match with a final score of 83-79.
Meanwhile, Al-Arabi decided to withdraw from their playoff match against Kuwait Club in protest against the refereeing decisions made in the previous game and the Federation’s inaction regarding these issues. Al-Arabi demanded that foreign referees officiate the second match, but the appointment of only one foreign referee, along with two local referees, was unacceptable to the club’s management.
Adnan Abel, Al-Arabi’s basketball director, viewed the withdrawal as a victory for the club’s rights, expressing dissatisfaction with the refereeing errors in the previous match and the lack of action taken by the officials.
Al-Arabi plans to submit a comprehensive report of the incidents, including video evidence of the refereeing errors, to the Asian and International Federations of Basketball, striving to uphold fairness and justice in the sport.