Today's Edition
KUUMAR SHYAM (ABU DHABI)
Dubai Basketball will play their ABA League semi-final home games at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai after more than two months out of the country forced by the regional instability.
The team is scheduled to host the first leg of the semi-final series against KK Budućnost on Wednesday, marking their return to home soil for the knockout phase of the competition.
Since the conflict began on February 28, Dubai Basketball has been compelled to stage all ABA League and EuroLeague home fixtures in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The club played nine home games across Sarajevo and Zenica, beginning with the EuroLeague fixture against Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz on March 12.
The return to Dubai for the crucial clash against their Montenegrin rivals has been confirmed following coordination between local authorities, ABA League officials and both competing teams.
Dejan Kamenjasevic, joint Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of Dubai Basketball, expressed relief at the club's homecoming. "We are very happy and grateful to finally return home to Dubai after more than two months away," he said.
"It has been a challenging period for everyone involved with the club, but throughout this time, we felt incredible support from our chairman [Abdulla Naboodah], our fans, partners, the ABA League, the EuroLeague, and the local authorities who helped make this return possible.
"We also want to sincerely thank the people of Sarajevo and Zenica for welcoming us and making us feel at home during this period. Their support meant a lot to our players, staff and families. A special thank you as well to KK Bosna for their collaboration, hospitality and support throughout these past months.
"Now, we are excited to be back at Coca-Cola Arena for the most important part of the season, and to play in front of our fans once again in Dubai. We invite everyone to join us on May 20 at the Coca-Cola Arena and help create a special atmosphere for the team as we bring the ABA League semi-finals home."
