KUWAIT: Kuwait's basketball wheelchair team defeated the Bahraini team 56-31 in the opening game of the ninth Gulf Championship, which kicked off on Monday evening, also featuring Saudi Arabia and the UAE and continues for six days. The game saw a distinctive appearance of the Kuwaiti team, which controlled most of the match to end it by 25 points margin, while the Bahraini team was affected by the absence of a number of key players.

The Head of the Organizing Committee of the Championship, Shafi Al-Hajeri stressed the keenness of Kuwait's disabled sports club to organize Gulf championships for people with disabilities in various games to enhance relations among GCC athletes. Al-Hajeri told reporters after the opening ceremony that the great support enjoyed by Kuwaiti disabled sports from the state has always contributed to its excellence. He expressed appreciation of the support of honorary Club's president Sheikha Shaikha Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah and Director General of the Public Authority for Sport. He pointed out that Kuwait players are well prepared for the championship and they are determined to win the title for the ninth time in a row, expressing the hope that the tournament will show a high level of technical reflect the development of the sport in GCC. -KUNA