Bahrain has become one of the more anticipated teams in the fast-approaching 20th Asian Games’ after naming JaKarr Sampson as one of its reinforcements.
The former NBA veteran has been officially included in the final 12-man lineup of the contenders from the Gulf Region, as announced by the Bahrain Basketball Association through its official social media channels last week.
Sampson went undrafted in 2014 but went on to play for five teams in the Association. The 33-year-old out of St. John’s has been with the Bahraini team since last year and played for them in the recent FIBA Asia Cup 2029 Pre-Qualifiers.
But it won’t just be Sampson that bolsters the squad, as Team Bahrain is bringing in a total of four naturalized players to the September 10-20 tilt.
The crew also has 6-foot-11 center Elijah Thomas, as well as 3×3 veteran Uros Ilic, who stands at 6-foot-10, and NCAA D1 talent Kelechi Austin Ajukwa.
Ajukwa is a 6-foot-6 guard from Clemson, the same school where Thomas finished his collegiate career. The latter is expected to provide additional leadership, having been a seasoned globetrotter himself.
Thomas is currently with Al Ittihad Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, where Bahrain head coach Slobodan Subotic also serves as its chief mentor. The two have also been competing together in the FIBA West Asia Super League.
It was in the same pan-regional league where JaKarr Sampson became better known among fans in the Middle East after playing for Kuwait Club.
Aside from these players, Bahrain has loaded up on local support, led by gunner Mosti Rashed — himself an inaugural WASL champion with Manama in 2023 — who has since taken his act to Qatar to continue his pro career with Al Arabi SC.
Completing the team are Ahmed Alderazi, Ahmed Haji, Ahmed Dindayneh, Ali Rashed, Ali Jaber, Mohammed Juma, and Mohammed Buallay.
The Bahrainis will start their Asian Games campaign against the all-PBA Philippines on Friday, September 11, at the Aichi International Arena.
