DUBAI (UAE) - Al Riyadi will step onto the BCL Asia 2025 stage as not only reigning champions but also as the most decorated club in West Asia, ready to defend their crown on the continent’s biggest stage.
Their combination of pedigree, poise, and championship pedigree makes them one of the most feared contenders in this year’s edition.
Al Riyadi booked their place in BCL Asia 2025 by winning the 2024-25 FIBA WASL Final 8, hosted in Zouk Mikael, Lebanon. It was their second consecutive Final 8 championship, a testament to their continued dominance in West Asia.
Their path was anything but easy, needing to outlast rivals in both the Gulf and West Asia zones before defeating Tabiat in the championship game. That Final capped off a flawless WASL season that further cemented their regional supremacy.
They also took care of business earlier in the season by winning the WASL-West Asia League, ensuring they were battle-tested by the time the Final 8 came around.
This will be Riyadi’s second appearance in the BCL Asia after winning it all in 2024. That victory ended a long pursuit of continental glory under the current BCL Asia format and added to their rich history in the FIBA Asia Champions Cup, where they’ve also lifted the trophy twice (2011 and 2017).
The Yellow Castle is synonymous with basketball excellence in Asia, and after capturing the BCL Asia title last year by defeating Shabab Al Ahli in the Final, they’ll now aim to become the first club to win back-to-back titles in the since Mahran Tehran in 2009 and 2010.
Riyadi’s roster is stacked with talent and experience. Leading the charge is Wael Arakji, the Lebanese national team star who co-led the Final 8 in scoring with 24.8 points per game, and delivered in the clutch time and time again.
Supporting him is Thon Maker, who added international pedigree and elite rim protection who was crucial in both WASL and BCL Asia runs last season, as well as WASL Final 8 this season. In Zouk Mikel, he averaged 15.2 points and 11.2 rebounds per game.
Hayk Gyokchyan remains the team’s glue guy, capable of stretching the floor and defending multiple positions and is just one of the many talented players on this squad that represents the Lebanon national team.
With Coach Ahmad Farran steering the ship, Al Riyadi have both the firepower and the structure to defend their title - and perhaps, further extend their reign as Asia’s premier basketball club.
FIBA
