PBA to hold games in Bahrain as part of the league’s 50th anniversary celebration

The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) will officially hold its first-ever games in Bahrain as part of its 50th anniversary celebrations, with the league set to stage two games in the country.

PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial and Bahrain Basketball Association (BBA) President Alaa Mudara recently signed the contract and announced the development during halftime of Game 5 of the ongoing PBA Philippine Cup Finals.

However, Marcial did not provide details on which teams will play in Bahrain, as the league still has to finalize the official schedule for next season’s Philippine Cup.

PBA commissioner Willie Marcial and Bahrain Basketball Association president Alaa Mudara announce that there will be PBA games played in Bahrain this coming December. @INQUIRERSports pic.twitter.com/LadE5OmGRz

— Rommel Fuertes Jr. (@MeloFuertesINQ) July 23, 2025

“We will have the same format as in Dubai in 2019, with three teams. One team will play back-to-back games,” Marcial told the media.

The event will also coincide with the BBA’s silver anniversary celebration. Mudara confirmed that the PBA games will be held on a public holiday to ensure fans can attend.

“We are very happy to host the PBA games in Bahrain. It will be held during Bahrain’s National Day. It’s a great time to have these games on a holiday so fans can enjoy watching them—especially Filipinos who cannot travel to the Philippines to watch in person,” Mudara added.

The PBA has previously held exhibition matches in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, while Dubai has hosted several official games—including a two-day series in 2019 that featured the San Miguel Beermen vs. NLEX Road Warriors, and Barangay Ginebra San Miguel vs. NLEX during the Governors’ Cup.

As it stands, the two games in Bahrain are scheduled from December 15 to 17. They will feature three PBA teams and will be part of the Philippine Cup conference under the league calendar.

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