After months of anticipation, the coastal city will welcome some of the sport's best athletes from across the globe for the eight days of competition and National Federation President Ismail Al Gargawi is delighted.

"This is a proud day for the UAE and the UAE Basketball Association," he said.

"Basketball fans of all ages have a great opportunity to watch the stars of tomorrow, and this tournament will have a long-lasting positive impact on the growth of basketball in Dubai and the region."

The United States will be hoping to defend their crown at the World Championship, which is being held under the of patronage Dubai Crown Prince and Dubai Sports Council chairman Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, having won the first two editions of the tournament in 2010 and 2012.

The FIBA U17 World Championship final will be staged at the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Sports Complex ©UAE Basketball Association/Facebook


They will, however, have to face competition from hosts the UAE, as well as Angola, China, Italy, Serbia, Argentina, Egypt, Japan, Spain, 2012 silver medallists Australia, France, Philippines, 2010 bronze medal winners Canada, Greece and Puerto Rico.

The group phase will get underway tomorrow at the Al-Shabab and Al-Ahli Arenas and is due to continue until next Monday (August 11).

All teams will then advance to the round of 16, which will take place on August 12, with the final scheduled for August 16 at the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Sports Complex.

All the World Championship games can be watched live on the official FIBA YouTube channel here. 

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