Dubai Basketball have announced that the first game of the ABA League semifinal series against Budućnost VOLI will be played in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The last-four clash was scheduled to be played at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai on May 20.
But due to the Middle East conflict, Dubai Basketball, after consulting with the ABA League and Budućnost VOLI, decided to stage the match in Zenica.
“Over the past few days, the club worked together with all parties involved to explore the possibility of returning to the United Arab Emirates for the series, but it was ultimately decided that the game would be played in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” Dubai Basketball said in a statement.
The first match will now be played on Thursday, May 21, at Arena Husejin Smajlović in Zenica.
“Dubai Basketball regrets not being able to reunite with its fans in Dubai yet. The club will continue working towards bringing games back to the city in anticipation of our potential qualification for the finals,” the club said.
The second game is scheduled for May 25. If needed, the third game in the series will be played on May 28.
Established in 2024, Dubai Basketball is hoping to become the first Asian team to win the ABA League, an elite European competition.
The UAE’s first professional club also narrowly missed out on a play-in spot in their Euro League debut this season.
Source: Khaleej Times