Head coach Irhad Tinjak dedicates victory to Dubai as UAE’s only representatives dominate European youth teams, including a 133-22 win and a 69-53 final triumph.
DUBAI — The Dubai Basketball U-18 Elite team has been crowned champions of the Basket Cup Sarajevo 2026, marking a stunning victory in their debut appearance at the prestigious European youth tournament held from April 3-5.
As the only team from outside Europe in the competition, Dubai’s young squad delivered a series of statement performances against some of the continent’s top talent, underscoring the emirate’s rapidly growing presence on the global basketball map.
Head coach Irhad Tinjak dedicated the win to Dubai, expressing pride in representing both the club and the UAE.
“After four days of competition, we are proud to be crowned the 2026 Basket Cup Sarajevo champions,” Tinjak said. “This victory means a lot to everyone at Dubai Basketball, and we are honored to represent both the club and the UAE. In difficult moments, we stayed together and played for Dubai.”
Dubai Basketball set the tone early in the group stage with commanding victories:
- 133-22 over KK Graficar Ludberg U-18
- 109-23 against Ilirija Ljubljana U-18
- 73-40 win over Scuola Basket Miky Mian U-18 (noted as 40-73 in original; reversed for clarity)
The team carried their momentum into the knockout rounds, defeating Maribor Mladi U-18 103-53 before overpowering Murska Sobota U-18 75-26 in the semi-finals.
In the final, Dubai faced Ras Beograd U-18 and secured a convincing 69-53 victory to lift the trophy. Montenegro’s Luka Malovic led the team with composure and confidence, delivering a personal tournament-high of 21 points in the championship game.
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