(Seychelles News Agency) - Two teams from Seychelles are leading the Indian Ocean basketball club championship taking place in the island nation from December 5-11.

Premium Cobras is first in the men’s category after winning all five matches. On the women’s side, Mont Fleuri is leading with victories in all three matches.

The 14^th edition of the Indian Ocean Club championship, which will end on Tuesday, serves as the qualifiers for the African Club Championships of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA).  

There are three foreign teams from the region participating in the event. On the Mauritian side are Mahebourg Flippers and Malagasy club COSPN in the men’s category and UCM from Comoros on the women’s side.

Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean, is being represented by the men’s league champion Premium Cobras and runner-up Beau Vallon Heat and Mont Fleuri -- the women’s champion -- and runner-up B Challenge.  

Due to the low turnout, the tournament’s technical committee decided to have the competition played on the FIBA league format.

Tony Juliette, the spokesperson of the Seychelles Basketball Federation, told SNA on Monday that usually the competition was played on a knock-out basis and ended in a final.

“This year the format was changed and is being played like the Euro league format which each team playing against each other twice and the team with the most points in each of the two categories at the end wins the title,” said Juliette.

Three matches are on the programme for Tuesday at the Palais de sports at Roche Caiman.

In the men’s category, at 3 p.m. Mauritian Mahebourg Flippers will face Beau Vallon Heat and at 7 p.m. Premium Cobras will meet COSPN Madagascar. In the women's category, only one match is left and that will be played at 5 p.m. between the two Seychelles sides B Challenge and Mont Fleuri.