Lebanon’s Riyadi win West Asian women’s basketball title

AMMAN  — The 4th West Asian Women’s Basketball Champions Cup ended on Friday with Lebanon’s Riyadi crowned the champ.

The championship hosted by Fuheis Club grouped teams from three countries: Lebanon’s Riyadi and Homenetmen, Palestine’s Sariet Ramallah and Jordan’s Orthodoxi and Fuheis.

Riyadi finished with an unbeaten run after overcoming compatriots Homenetmen, who beat Orthodoxi 75-48 as the latter beat Ramallah 77-71 and settled for third despite losing to Fuheis 63-61. Ramallah came in fourth after beating Fuheis 69-65 as the hosts finished last after losing to Homenetmen 96-47 on the final day.

In 2015, Lebanon’s Riyadi took the title after beating Syria’s Wihda who came in second while Orthodoxi came in third. Fuheis were fourth and Sariet Ramallah finished fifth. Lebanon’s Antranik Club had won the title before. 

In the last regional event in 2014, Orthodoxi finished 4th at the 16th Arab Clubs Basketball Championship for Women in Egypt when Lebanon’s Riyadi retained the title.

In the men’s championship, Orthodoxi hosted the 16th West Asian Clubs Championship earlier this year which qualifies teams to the Asian Basketball Confederation (ABC) Champions Cup.

Iran’s Petroshemi, Lebanon’s Riyadi and Iraq’s Shurta advanced from the zonal qualifiers, Orthodoxi appeared below form and lost all four matches. The West Asian Clubs Championship has been dominated by Lebanese and Iranian team since it started in 1998.

Orthodoxi were the only Jordanian team to win the title in 1999. Jordanian runners-up are Jazira (currently Riyadi’s team) in 1998, Orthodoxi in 2001 and 2002, Arena in 2003 and Zain in 2009.