Azernews.Az

Azerbaijan's Sabah team has extended the contract with three basketball players, Azernews reports.

The team signed a new contract with Ender Poladkhanli, Shirzad Shirzadov and Alikamran Mammadov until the end of the next season.

Sabah team, the winner of the Azerbaijan Basketball League last season, will represent Azerbaijan in the Basketball Champions League 2024 for the first time.

The Basketball Champions League (BCL), also commonly known as the FIBA Champions League, is an annual professional basketball competition for European clubs, organized by FIBA.

Each season consists of 32 teams. The inaugural season was held in 2016–17 and since then five different clubs won the competition.

the history of Azerbaijani basketball started in 1920 on the initiative of workers and staff of foreign oil companies who arrived in Baku. In 1926, around 300 basketball teams operated in Baku.

Between 1920 and 1930, the country's strongest basketball team started training in the Railway Sports Club.

Baku's basketball team of the Dynamo Society distinguished itself in many competitions.

In 1931, the men's basketball team became the winner of the championship of Transcaucasia and for the first time won the right to participate with an independent team in the championship of the USSR.

Since this year, the Azerbaijani men's basketball team has been taking a leading position in the South Caucasus for many years.

At the USSR championship (1936), the women's basketball team beat Georgia (41:20), Belarus (30:16), and other rivals ranking third in the competition.

Founded in 1992, the Azerbaijani Basketball Federation (ABF) has played a major role in the development of basketball in the country.

In 1994, ABF became a full member of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) making it possible for national basketball teams to join international competitions.

In 1995, Azerbaijan won an international basketball match held in Baku.

In 2006, men's basketball ranked first at the FIBA European Development Cup in Albania.

Four years later, the national team became first at Novruz- 2010 International basketball tournament.

Azerbaijani basketball players also grabbed two medals at the 5th Islamic Solidarity Games.

The team won one gold and one silver medals for Azerbaijan.

Basketball in Azerbaijan will continue to grow and improve, attracting more sports fans.

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @lmntypewriterrr

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