Muscat – Oman Basketball Association will launch the Athletes’ Development Centres League on April 24, bringing together 150 young players from across the country in a move to strengthen grassroots basketball and develop national talent.

The league will run till May 16 and is designed to reinforce the link between education and sports through the association’s youth programmes. Six training centres, established in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth across several governorates, will compete in the tournament.

The participating centres represent Seeb Club and Al Amerat Club in Muscat governorate, Nizwa Club and Al Bashair Club in Dakhliyah, Salalah Club in Dhofar, and Suhar Club in North Batinah. Each centre will field 25 players, with 14 Omani coaches overseeing the teams.

Matches will be held at Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex Bausher every Friday and Saturday, with each centre playing two matches per week.

Khalfan bin Saleh Al Naabi, President of Oman Basketball Association, said the league reflects the association’s vision to invest in youth categories and build a generation capable of representing clubs and national teams. He said the competition will provide a platform to measure players’ progress, refine their technical and physical skills and boost their confidence.

Al Naabi added that the tournament’s timing was chosen to suit students, ensuring it concludes before final examinations. He stressed that the league’s primary focus is player development, offering young athletes competitive match experience while enabling coaches to assess performance and refine training programmes.