Action during the match between Qatar and India.
Doha, Qatar: Qatar produced a strong second-half comeback to defeat hosts India 65-56 in the opening game of the third window of the FIBA Basketball World Cup Qatar 2027 Asian Qualifiers in Ahmedabad yesterday.
The victory gave Qatar a valuable start in Group D, which also features Lebanon and Saudi Arabia.
India made the brighter start, taking the opening quarter 12-7 before extending their advantage with an 18-15 second-quarter effort to lead at halftime.
Qatar turned the contest around after the break with an impressive display on both ends of the court. They outscored India 20-14 in the third quarter to cut the deficit before dominating the final period 23-12 to complete a deserved nine-point victory.
Qatar’s Abdulrahman Saad was the game’s top scorer with 24 points, while Pranav Prince led India with 13 points. With this result, Qatar raised its tally to 8 points, while India remained at 5 points, having lost all five of its group matches without a single victory. This was Qatar’s second triumph over India, following their earlier 99-73 win in Doha during the third round.
Qatar had opened its qualifying campaign with a narrow 75-74 loss to Lebanon in Doha, before bouncing back with a crucial 86-83 away win against Lebanon. In their previous outing, Qatar fell to Saudi Arabia 80-86 in Doha.
The team now gears up to continue its qualifying journey, traveling to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for an away clash against Saudi Arabia on July 5. The Qatari delegation is led by Qatar Basketball Federation (QBF) Secretary General and Director of National Teams Saadoun Sabah Al‑Kuwari, assisted by Team Manager Jassim Ibrahim Ashkanani and Assistant Manager Nabil Jumaa. The squad is coached by Turkish head coach Hakan Demir, supported by assistants Cengiz Karadağ, Miroje Mimetich, and Abdou Sow, with Mohamed Vural overseeing fitness preparation. The medical staff includes Dr. Adel Harmiyeh, Dr. Adel Salim, and Nikasio Sagaino.
Qatar’s roster features 12 players: Abdulrahman Saad, Mostafa Fouda, Omar Saad, Zeineddine Badr, Mohamed Hashem, Mostafa Nado, Babacar Dieng, Ousmane Dieng, Aladji Bobo Magassa, Alen Hadzibegovic, Donte Grantham, and Mahmoud Darwish.
Qatar, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia have already secured qualification to the second round of the Asian qualifiers for the FIBA World Cup Qatar 2027.
