Doha, July 25 (QNA) - The Gulf Qualifiers for the FIBA U18 Asia Cup 2026 began in Doha on Saturday, with Oman and Bahrain opening their campaigns in style to seize the early lead in the standings.

Oman stormed back from an 11-point halftime deficit to stun Kuwait 62-59, while Bahrain pulled away in the second half for a 62-54 victory over Saudi Arabia on the opening day of the six-team tournament, hosted by the Qatar Basketball Federation.

In the tournament opener, Kuwait came out firing, building a 22-13 first-quarter lead before stretching its advantage to 40-29 at halftime after taking the second period 18-16.

But the game turned after the break.

Oman gradually found their rhythm, trimmed the deficit by winning the third quarter 16-14, then dominated the final period. The Omanis outscored Kuwait 17-5 in the fourth quarter to erase the halftime deficit and complete an impressive comeback for a three-point victory, collecting their first two points of the tournament.

Bahrain followed with another strong second-half performance, thrashing Saudi Arabia 62-54.

Bahrain raced to a 16-6 lead after the opening quarter before Saudi Arabia answered with a 20-8 second-quarter run to level the contest heading into halftime.

Bahrain responded by taking control in the third, outscoring Saudi Arabia 21-11, while the teams played to a 17-17 draw in the fourth. Bahrain's decisive third-quarter surge proved the difference as it secured an eight-point win.

After the opening round, Oman and Bahrain sit atop the standings with two points apiece, while Kuwait and Saudi Arabia each have one point.

 Action resumes Sunday with Bahrain facing Kuwait at 5 p.m., followed by host Qatar's tournament debut against Saudi Arabia at 7 p.m.

The six-day competition serves as the Gulf qualifying tournament for the FIBA U18 Asia Cup 2026, scheduled for Ahmedabad, India, in August. Played in a single round-robin format, each team will play four games, earning two points for a win and one for a loss.

The top three finishers will advance to the continental championship, where four spots in the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2027 in the Czech Republic will be on the line.

Hosting the tournament marks another milestone in Qatar's preparations for the FIBA Basketball World Cup Qatar 2027, the first edition of the event to be held in the Middle East and North Africa, further highlighting the country's growing role as a hub for major international basketball events. (QNA)