An action-packed Sunday brought the curtain down on a highly successful 1st Term for the Dubai Open for Basketball Academies (DOBA). As many as 1,220 players from 18 different academies participated in the three-month championship. Wild Cats Academy and JAM Academy clinched the coveted U19 Boys’ and Girls’ titles respectively.
Organised by Sport360X and Sports Mania, DOBA is changing the face of youth basketball in the UAE. This championship is under the supervision of the Dubai Sports Council and the UAE Basketball Association. With the help of integrated International Basketball Federation (FIBA) live statistics, it seamlessly held 279 matches in the first Term in two venues: The Swiss School (Jaddaf) and The Citizen School (Al Satwa).
During this term, an average of 30 games were played every week across 14 separate categories. Using FIBA statistics, the Most Valuable Player (MVP) was picked for each game. After the finals, an MVP of the tournament was also announced for each category.
Prominent faces from the national and international basketball communities were in attendance for Sunday’s finals and award ceremonies. Dubai Basketball Club’s (DBC) star players Ahmad Dwairi and Awudu Abass were among the esteemed guests who graced the occasion.
The league’s success was made possible with the help of multiple sponsors. Anta and Curaprox were the title and gold sponsors respectively. Fade Fit and Burjeel Hospital were the other sponsors, along with Mai Dubai (Hydration Partner) and OWQLO (Official Operating System).
LEAGUE WINNERS IN EACH CATEGORY
U19 Boys: Wild Cats Academy
U19 Girls: JAM Academy
U16 Boys Division 1: Falcons Academy
U16 Boys Division 2: Mowen Academy
U16 Girls: NBA Basketball School
U14 Girls: Wild Cats Academy
U14 Boys Division 1: 24 Basketball Academy
U14 Boys Division 2: AD Knights Academy
U12 Boys Division 1: Mowen Academy
U12 Boys Division 2: JD Academy
U12 Girls NBA Basketball School
U10 Boys Division 1: JAM Academy
U10 Boys Division 2: JD Academy
MVP OF THE TOURNAMENT IN EACH CATEGORY
U19 Boys: Aleksa Petrovic (Wild Cats)
U19 Girls: Anja Obradovic (JAM)
U16 Boys Division 1: Gustav Vilcans (Falcons)
U16 Boys Division 2: Monghit (Mowen)
U16 Girls: Thea Awad (NBA)
U14 Girls: Maria Coll (Wild Cats)
U14 Boys Division 1: Rohit Rajkumar (24 Basketball)
U14 Boys Division 2: Tadaki Kishida (AD Knight)
U12 Boys Division 1: Gabriel Ocampo (Mowen)
U12 Boys Division 2: Chas Khamis (JD)
U12 Girls: Ameli Rizan (NBA)
U10 Boys Division 1: Joe El Helou (JAM)
U10 Boys Division 2: Joud Hergli (JD)
Term 2 of DOBA promises to be even grander, with 110 teams and 1,400 players on board. This term, which tips off on January 18, will feature 450 games, with the finals slated for May 31 and June 1. It will also include several basketball clinics conducted by prominent coaches and a parents’ orientation workshop.
