Dubai Open for Basketball Academies Championship begins with over 1,800 players

The 2026-2027 season of the Dubai Open for Basketball Academies (DOBA) Championship has commenced.

Organised by the Dubai Sports Council for the third consecutive year, in collaboration with the UAE Basketball Federation and the championship’s operational partners, Sports Mania and Sport360, the championship is part of the ‘Dubai Sports Sector Strategic Plan 2033’, particularly in focussing on discovering, nurturing and developing sporting talent.

Also called the DOBA Youth Basketball League, this mega event provides a competitive environment that helps identify promising players, refine their skills while preparing them for higher levels of competition and sporting achievement.

The championship serves as a unique platform for discovering, nurturing and developing sporting talent by providing a competitive environment that contributes to discovering promising players, honing their abilities and preparing them to reach higher levels of competition and sporting achievement.

The first phase of the competition will continue till December 13, and will consist of 321 matches with participation of more than 1,800 players representing 23 sports entities, including local academies and clubs.

All matches are being held at the Citizen School in Al Satwa and the Al Ittihad Private School in Jumeirah.

Clubs from Dubai such as Al Nasr, Al Wasl, Shabab Al Ahli, Sharjah Club, Sharjah Women’s Club and Khor Fakkan Club are among the local clubs participating in this competition along with another 17 specialised academies including JAM Academy, Champs Academy, NBA School, Dubai Basketball Academy, Starpoint Academy, OBS Academy, Triple Threat, MBBA, Grind Academy, Wildcats, ID Knights Academy, Jazz Academy, Get the Kids Fit Academy, JAM Abu Dhabi, Champs Jebel Ali, Dubai Tribe and Wise Academy.

This edition of the tournament features the launch of a number of initiatives and organisational and technical developments. Foremost among these initiatives is the launch of a dedicated smart Application solely for the tournament, the first of its kind. This app allows teams, players, coaches, and fans to follow the competitions in real time throughout the season. It provides match schedules, live scores, standings, player and team statistics, as well as photo and video coverage and the latest tournament updates.

On the technical side, the tournament will be implementing the new rules and regulations issued by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) in cooperation and coordination with the UAE Basketball Federation. These changes are meant to raise the technical level of referees and matches, and ensure that players, coaches and technical staff are familiar with the latest international standards adopted by the game.

One of the highlights this season is the participation of local Emirati clubs alongside private sports academies. This step aims to support the growth and development of basketball in the country, and to provide a competitive environment that helps discover and nurture national talent, offering them continuous development opportunities throughout the season.

The Dubai Open for Basketball Academies (DOBA) Championship thus continues its work to provide a professional and competitive sporting environment that contributes to supporting young athletes and enhancing the development of basketball in the UAE.