Al Fursan are NAS wheelchair basketball champions

Al Fursan powered their way to a 71-50 victory against the Dubai Public Prosecution team to win the wheelchair basketball title at the 4th Nad Al Sheba (NAS) Ramadan Sports Tournament on Saturday.

Serving the Al Fursan cause was their foreign duo of Florian Mach of Germany and Akaseet Jum Jarean of Thailand as Public Prosecution was left playing catch up throughout.

Saeed Hareb, Secretary General of the Dubai Sports Council (DSC) handed over the trophies and medals along with Hassan Al Mazrouei, Tournament Director of the NAS Ramadan Sports Tournament, and Ismail Al Gergawi, President of the UAE Basketball Federation.

With Mach and Jarean in their ranks, Public Prosecution found it difficult to contain Al Fursan.

By the end of the first ten minutes, Al Fursan had surged ahead 19-10 with Mach top-scoring with seven points and Ibrahim Al Hammadi and Jarean contributing six points apiece.

In the second period of play, Al Fursan enjoyed a 14-point cushion at 35-21 with Al Hammadi once again scoring six while Salah Faraj notched a brace.

In the third period, Public Prosecution tried to fightback reducing the gap through Ashraf Abu Zeid and Michel Thomas.

But Mach and Tariq Alyasi rallied to add 23 points together to swell Al Fursan's lead to 20 points while leading 58-38.

The final period was more of defending than scoring and that resulted in Al Fursan slowing down a bit while making just 13 points against the dozen in by their opponents to win comfortably 71-50.

Mach was thrilled to win on his debut in Dubai.

“I was apprehensive of the final outcome of the final as the Public Prosecution has a good team as well. But we had come up with a game plan and we did well to stick to what was decided before the game,” Mach said.

Meanwhile, the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) needed extra-time to complete a hard-fought 31-28 win over hosts Dubai Club for Special Sports ‘B’ and walk away with the third place.

After being tied 27-27 at the end of regulation time, it was DEWA’s Filipino player Marino Buic who made the difference as his team scampered home to win 31-28.

Later in the night, Al Thiqah Club of Sharjah handed out a 9-0 thrashing to Abu Dhabi Club and win the Deaf Football title.

Also, in the men’s open padel final, Sandy Farquharson and Javier Lopez had an easy outing to win 6-3, 6-3 against the pairing of Javier Molina and German Zunica.

The third place went to Guillermo Villafane and Benjamin Cassaigne as they defeated Emilio Misas and Pedro Rios 7-6, 6-2.

Held under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council (DSC), this year’s three-week long sporting extravaganza is being sponsored by Land Rover, Al Tayer Motors, RTA, Emaar, Emirates Airline, Al Naboodah, Ahmed Siddiqui & Sons and Arabian Automobiles Al Rostamani Motors with a total prize fund of Dh8 million.

Results

(Wheelchair Basketball)

Final: Al Fursan bt Dubai Public Prosecution 71-50; Third place: DEWA bt Dubai Club for Special Sports ‘B’ 31-28.
 
(Deaf Football Final)

Al Thiqah Club, Sharjah bt Abu Dhabi Club 9-0.
 
(Padel Men’s Open)

Final: Sandy Farquharson/Javier Lopez bt German Zunica/Javier Molina 6-3, 6-3.

Third place: Guillermo Villafane/Benjamin Cassaigne bt Emilio Misas/Pedro Rios 7-6, 6-2.

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