Lebanon wins WABA Championship

Lebanon claimed victory in the WABA Championship with a closely fought win over Palestine, managing an 88-79 score line to life the coveted trophy. It was the country’s fourth gold medal in this competition, making Lebanon the second most successful nation, while four was the number of the day as the team also swept the tournament 4-0.

Of course, the WABA Championship is organized by the West Asia Basketball Association and serves as a qualifier for the FIBA Asia Championship and FIBA Asia Cup, two competitions Lebanon is now assured to play in.

Palestine had taken an early 18-16 through the first quarter, but Lebanon soon turned it around to lead 32-35 at the long break. In the third act Lebanon drained 33 points to Palestine’s 19 to ensure a 51-68, and although the losing team rallied in the fourth, it was not enough to stop the Lebanese winning their first WABA Championship since 2012.