By Dawn Tay

MENTION sport in Kuwait and camel racing is likely to be the hot topic, not basketball.

But that has not stopped its girls' team from competing in the Asian Youth Games' (AYG) 3-on-3 basketball competition.

In a showcase of diversity, the competition has pitted traditional Asian powerhouses China and Japan against Kuwait, Bahrain and Bangladesh - all of which are unranked by Fiba, the sport's governing body.

Spotted over the past two days were players sporting hijabs and trackshoes.

The differences in appearance were apparent - for instance, bearded Palestinian boys faced off against clean-shaven Malaysians.

China's Li Weijie, 16, trains twice a day all year round in a specialised sports academy, with just a seven-day break for Chinese New Year.

Contrast that with Bangladesh basketballer Abu Obay Adib, who picked up a basketball for the first time just a
year ago.

He said: "My friends and family asked why I was playing basketball instead of cricket or football."

This AYG is the country's first international basketball tournament in 15 years and the team's first match in an indoor court.

In Bahrain, however, outdoor basketball is almost unheard of, as temperatures can go over a sweltering 40 deg C.

And while playing in hijab and trackpants is the norm in the Arabic country, their girls' team faced sitting out the tournament, as players were not allowed to wear headscarves and trackpants under competition rules.

To their relief, the ruling was changed midway through yesterday's competition, following a last-minute directive from the Olympic Council of Asia.

Despite all the differences, players across teams rattled off names like LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe
Bryant with ease, when asked about their favourite superstars.

This is a competition which proves that sport can indeed conquer boundaries.

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