Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Monday, Jan 05, 2026

Day 5 recap: Poland seal U17 World Cup spot; France, Hungary and Kosovo also champions

Day 5 recap: Poland seal U17 World Cup spot; France, Hungary and Kosovo also champions

Four teams celebrated title triumphs on the final day of the FIBA U16 European Challengers with France, Poland, Hungary and Kosovo joining Serbia amongst the winner's circle.
Headlines:


- France win Skopje title with Final triumph
- Poland beat Germany to claim Sofia title, FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup spot
- Serbia finish 5-0 in Novi Sad, Slovenia in second
- Hungary victorious in Sofia 19-25 Final
- Kosovo overcome Luxembourg in Pristina Final


MVP Awards:


Novi Sad MVP: Jan Vide (SLO) - 27.0 PTS / 5.6 REB / 4.2 AST
Pristina MVP: Rron Dahsyla (KOS) - 17.4 PTS / 9.6 REB / 3.4 AST
Skopje MVP: Killian Malwaya (FRA) - 13.4 PTS / 3.8 REB / 2.0 STL
Sofia MVP: Martin Ude Kalu (GER) - 27.0 PTS / 7.5 REB / 2.3 STL
Sofia (19-25) MVP: Luka Alavidze (GEO) - 16.0 PTS / 5.0 REB / 5.6 AST


Day 5 Standout Performers:


Sofia: Szymon Nowicki (POL) - 24 PTS / 11 REB / 4 BLK
Novi Sad: Peter Bandelj (SLO) - 29 PTS / 3 AST / 3 STL
Novi Sad: Ben Avraham Saraf (ISR) - 21 PTS / 8 REB / 5 AST
Sofia (19-25): Ruben Prey (POR) - 19 PTS / 17 REB / 8 BLK
Pristina: Jordan Dowling (MLT) - 12 PTS / 15 REB / 11 STL
Pristina: Rron Dahsyla (KOS) - 30 PTS / 11 REB / 6 STL


Skopje Challenger:


Gameday 5 results: France secured the title in Skopje with a 57-51 triumph in the Final over Lithuania. The unbeaten champions started with a 15-2 first quarter before being pegged back in the second, but they restored control and were able to see out the contest. Earlier, Russia took care of third place with a convincing 94-47 victory over Romania with Vadim Shirinkin leading all scorers with 17 points.

Sofia Challenger:
Group B


10/10 games played


Gameday 5 results: Poland claimed the final spot in qualifying for next year's FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup as they defeated Germany 75-66 to win the Sofia Challenger as Szymon Nowicki finished with 24 points, 11 rebounds and 4 blocks. Meanwhile, hosts Bulgaria fell to a 72-65 defeat against Latvia, who picked up their first win of the week.

Novi Sad Challenger:
Group C


15/15 games played


Gameday 5 results: Serbia completed a perfect week with a 5-0 record as they fought past Turkey in an 82-68 victory. Slovenia bounced back from their first loss on Friday to finish on a high with a comfortable 86-50 success against Czech Republic with 29 points from Peter Bandelj. Meanwhile, Israel claimed their second win by beating Belgium 98-50 as Ben Avraham Saraf hit six triples in a 21-point haul.

Sofia Challenger (19-25):
Group Z


3/3 games played


Gameday 5 results: Hungary edged out Georgia 75-72 to take the title in Sofia with 20 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists from Balint Szoke. Meanwhile, Portugal defeated Ukraine 62-55 to take third place as Ruben Prey posted 19 points, 17 rebounds and 8 blocks with Slovakia beating Switzerland 77-66 in the 5-7 Classification Round.

Pristina Challenger:
Group F


15/15 games played


Gameday 5 results: Kosovo finished the week in style with a dominant 86-43 triumph over Luxembourg to seal the title in Pristina. Rron Dahsyla fired in 30 points in the win with Dren Kastrati adding 15 points, 10 rebounds and 9 steals. Moldova locked up third with a 67-36 win over Gibraltar, while Malta defeated Albania 62-51 behind a triple-double from Jordan Dowling with 12 points, 15 rebounds and 11 steals and 29 points from Adam Azzopardi.


Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
CNN’s Ranking of Israel’s Women’s Rights Sparks Debate After Misleading Global Index Comparison
Saudi Arabia’s Shifting Regional Alignment Raises Strategic Concerns in Jerusalem
OPEC+ Holds Oil Output Steady Amid Member Tensions and Market Oversupply
Iranian Protests Intensify as Another Revolutionary Guard Member Is Killed and Khamenei Blames the West
President Trump Says United States Will Administer Venezuela Until a Secure Leadership Transition
Delta Force Identified as Unit Behind U.S. Operation That Captured Venezuela’s President
Saudi-UAE Rift Adds Complexity to Middle East Diplomacy as Trump Signals Firm Leadership
OPEC+ to Keep Oil Output Policy Unchanged Despite Saudi-UAE Tensions Over Yemen
Saudi Arabia and UAE at Odds in Yemen Conflict as Southern Offensive Deepens Gulf Rift
Abu Dhabi ‘Capital of Capital’: How Abu Dhabi Rose as a Sovereign Wealth Power
Diamonds Are Powering a New Quantum Revolution
Trump Threatens Strikes Against Iran if Nuclear Programme Is Restarted
Why Saudi Arabia May Recalibrate Its US Spending Commitments Amid Rising China–America Rivalry
Riyadh Air’s First Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner Completes Initial Test Flight, Advancing Saudi Carrier’s Launch
Saudi Arabia’s 2025: A Pivotal Year of Global Engagement and Domestic Transformation
Saudi Arabia to Introduce Sugar-Content Based Tax on Sweetened Drinks from January 2026
Saudi Hotels Prepare for New Hospitality Roles as Alcohol Curbs Ease
Global Airports Forum Highlights Saudi Arabia’s Emergence as a Leading Aviation Powerhouse
Saudi Arabia Weighs Strategic Choice on Iran Amid Regional Turbulence
Saudi Arabia Condemns Sydney Bondi Beach Shooting and Expresses Solidarity with Australia
Washington Watches Beijing–Riyadh Rapprochement as Strategic Balance Shifts
Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 Drives Measurable Lift in Global Reputation and Influence
Alcohol Policies Vary Widely Across Muslim-Majority Countries, With Many Permitting Consumption Under Specific Rules
Saudi Arabia Clarifies No Formal Ban on Photography at Holy Mosques for Hajj 2026
Libya and Saudi Arabia Sign Strategic MoU to Boost Telecommunications Cooperation
Elon Musk’s xAI Announces Landmark 500-Megawatt AI Data Center in Saudi Arabia
Israel Moves to Safeguard Regional Stability as F-35 Sales Debate Intensifies
Cardi B to Make Historic Saudi Arabia Debut at Soundstorm 2025 Festival
U.S. Democratic Lawmakers Raise National Security and Influence Concerns Over Paramount’s Hostile Bid for Warner Bros. Discovery
Hackers Are Hiding Malware in Open-Source Tools and IDE Extensions
Traveling to USA? Homeland Security moving toward requiring foreign travelers to share social media history
Wall Street Analysts Clash With Riyadh Over Saudi Arabia’s Deficit Outlook
Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Cement $1 Trillion-Plus Deals in High-Profile White House Summit
Saudi Arabia Opens Alcohol Sales to Wealthy Non-Muslim Residents Under New Access Rules
U.S.–Saudi Rethink Deepens — Washington Moves Ahead Without Linking Riyadh to Israel Normalisation
Saudi Arabia and Israel Deprioritise Diplomacy: Normalisation No Longer a Middle-East Priority
As Trump Deepens Ties with Saudi Arabia, Push for Israel Normalization Takes a Back Seat
Thai Food Village Debuts at Saudi Feast Food Festival 2025 Under Thai Commerce Minister Suphajee’s Lead
Saudi Arabia Sharpens Its Strategic Vision as Economic Transformation Enters New Phase
Saudi Arabia Projects $44 Billion Budget Shortfall in 2026 as Economy Rebalances
OPEC+ Unveils New Capacity-Based System to Anchor Future Oil Output Levels
Hong Kong Residents Mourn Victims as 1,500 People Relocated After Devastating Tower Fire
Saudi Arabia’s SAMAI Initiative Surpasses One-Million-Citizen Milestone in National AI Upskilling Drive
Saudi Arabia’s Specialty Coffee Market Set to Surge as Demand Soars and New Exhibition Drops in December
Saudi Arabia Moves to Open Two New Alcohol Stores for Foreigners Under Vision 2030 Reform
Saudi Arabia’s AI Ambitions Gain Momentum — but Water, Talent and Infrastructure Pose Major Hurdles
Tensions Surface in Trump-MBS Talks as Saudi Pushes Back on Israel Normalisation
Saudi Arabia Signals Major Maritime Crack-Down on Houthi Routes in Red Sea
Italy and Saudi Arabia Seal Over 20 Strategic Deals at Business Forum in Riyadh
COP30 Ends Without Fossil Fuel Phase-Out as US, Saudi Arabia and Russia Align in Obstruction Role
×