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DUBAI: Basketball players in the UAE and the wider Middle East will soon benefit from a rare opportunity as Ball Above All Sports, a premier youth basketball platform in the UAE, partners with North Pole Hoops to launch the inaugural BAA NPH Showcase League in Dubai for the autumn 2025-2026 season.

BAA, whose leagues are approved by the Dubai Sports Council and the UAE Basketball Federation, provides leagues, tournaments, and coaching for players of all ages and backgrounds, while NPH is Canada’s leading scouting and exposure organisation with a track record of guiding athletes from grassroots through North American prep schools, colleges, universities, and ultimately to the NBA.

The Showcase League aligns with the UAE’s National Sports Strategy 2031, which focuses on nurturing elite talent, strengthening the country’s global presence, and preparing Olympic basketball athletes for 2030 while further developing the UAE national team.

Tariq Sbiet, CEO and founder of North Pole Hoops, said: “We are thrilled to announce Dubai as the first stop for NPH in the Middle East. This marks a historic milestone as we open a direct pathway for prospects in the region to be seen, ranked, and recruited at a level that has never existed before.

“Through NPH Scouting we will identify, evaluate, and rank talent from the BAA NPH Showcase League, and with International Prep Placement we will ensure these prospects are matched with the right North American programmes to continue their journey to the next level.”

Kicking off on Sept. 13, 2025, the league is a milestone for basketball in the region, introducing a structured pathway for local prospects to connect directly with North American programs.

The BAA NPH Showcase League in Dubai is now part of North Pole Hoops’ global ecosystem, which includes the National Preparatory Association and the NPH Showcase League in Canada. Powered by NPH Scouting and the International Prep Placement programme, the league will offer athletes professional evaluations, verified rankings, and tailored placement support, creating pathways to prep schools and post-secondary basketball opportunities in North America.

The league forms the first stage of NPH’s three-tier global development system. Level one begins in the Middle East with the BAA NPH Showcase League in Dubai, level two continues with the NPA and NPH Showcase League in Canada, and level three culminates in opportunities at top post-secondary programmes in North America, including the National Collegiate Athletic Association, U Sports (Canadian university system), JUCO (United States junior colleges), the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association, and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, with proven pathways to professional leagues such as the NBA.

NPH’s model has paved the way for 14 of the 25 Canadian players to have reached the NBA, including current NBA champion and MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder and 2023 NBA champion Jamal Murray of the Denver Nuggets. As a proven pathway to the league, NPH has also facilitated the recruitment of countless Canadian athletes into prestigious prep schools and college basketball programmes in the United States and Canada.

Belal Abiad, founder of Ball Above All, added: “For the first time, Middle Eastern athletes will have access to a real stage supported by NPH’s proven scouting platform. We are not simply running a league, we are building a bridge between continents and creating opportunities that were once out of reach.”

This launch builds on the commitment of BAA and NPH to introduce North American-style player development to the UAE while creating international exposure for emerging Middle Eastern talent.

NEW YORK: Carlos Alcaraz dazzled at the US Open to make the semifinals on Tuesday before Novak Djokovic danced his way through to book a New York showdown with the Spaniard that will mark the latest chapter in their generational rivalry.

Former champion Alcaraz produced yet another entertaining display at Flushing Meadows to dismantle 20th seed Jiri Lehecka 6-4 6-2 6-4 at a sunbathed Arthur Ashe Stadium, securing his place in the last four without dropping a set this year.

“Sometimes I play a shot that I should not play in that moment but it’s the way I love playing tennis,” Alcaraz, who is two wins away from taking the world number one spot from Italian rival Jannik Sinner, told Sky Sports.

“I want to play solid, play well and play smart but at the same time when I have the opportunity to play a great shot — or a hot shot let’s say — why not?

“I’m here to entertain the people, myself and the team.”

Djokovic topped the bill in a truncated evening session after women’s champion Aryna Sabalenka received a walkover when Marketa Vondrousova withdrew due to a knee injury.

The Belarusian will face Jessica Pegula in the semifinals.

Djokovic, chasing a 25th Grand Slam title to move above Margaret Court in the all-time list, beat American Taylor Fritz 6-3 7-5 3-6 6-4 and celebrated the win by performing a dance for his daughter on her birthday.

Fritz has now lost 11 straight to the 38-year-old Serb, who became the oldest player in the professional era — since 1968 — to reach the semis of all four Grand Slams in a single season.

Tough test

Alcaraz is 16 years Djokovic’s junior but could face a tough test in his pursuit of a sixth Grand Slam title having lost five of his eight matches against the Serb.

The Spaniard has lost his last two to Djokovic — in the Australian Open quarter-finals this year and in last year’s Paris Olympics final, a clash that left both players in tears for different reasons.

“I’d love to be fit enough to play and to play potentially five sets with Carlos. I know that my best tennis is going to be required, but I’d rise to the occasion,” Djokovic said.

“Normally I like to play the big matches on a big stage. It’s just that I’m not really sure how the body is going to feel in the next few days. But I’m going to do my best with my team to be fit for that.”

The top ranking is also on the line for Alcaraz at the end of the tournament but he was trying not to dwell on it.

“If I think about the world number one spot too much, I’m going to put pressure on myself and I don’t want to do that,” Alcaraz said.

“I just want to step on court, try to do my things, follow my goals and try to enjoy as much as I can.”

Sabalenka moved ahead as Vondrousova was forced to withdraw after sparkling with upset victories over seventh seed Jasmine Paolini and ninth seed Elena Rybakina.

The 26-year-old has endured lengthy spells on the sidelines in recent years and was one of three Czech women to advance into the Flushing Meadows quarter-finals.

It was a bitter blow for Czech fans who had hoped for a major upset in New York but were left stunned when she pulled up injured in a practice session.

“We saw her crying,” said Helena Plavcova, 54, a fan from Connecticut with Czech roots.

“I’m so sorry for her.”

Sabalenka, who had defeated the 60th-ranked Czech in their most recent clash in the Cincinnati second round last month, now meets Pegula in a rematch of last year’s final.

The American dispatched Czech twice Grand Slam champion Barbora Krejcikova 6-3 6-3 to get the day’s action underway.

Her compatriot Venus Williams bowed out of the tournament after she and Canadian partner Leylah Fernandez were outclassed by top seeds Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova 6-1 6-2 in the women’s doubles quarterfinals.