Qatar players during a training session ahead of their opening match against Lebanon.
Doha: The Qatar national basketball team will face Lebanon in a highly anticipated opening match of the 31st FIBA Asia Cup 2025, hosted in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from August 5 to 17, 2025. The tournament features 16 competing teams.
The clash, set for 9:00pm today, marks the start of Group A, widely regarded as the toughest in Asia Cup history, featuring Qatar, Lebanon, South Korea, and defending champions Australia, winners of the 2017 and 2022 editions. This formidable group intensifies the challenge for all teams vying for the top spot or qualification to the knockout stages.
Returning to the competition after an eight-year absence, Qatar, under the guidance of Turkish coach Hakan Demir, blends international experience with youthful energy.
The squad boasts a balanced roster, including American professional Brandon Goodwin, alongside Alain Hadzibegovic, Seydou Ndoye, Zain Eddin Badri, Tyler Harris, Aladji Magassa, Omar Saad, Mustafa Ndao, Mohammed Bashir, Babacar Dieng, Abdulrahman Saad, and Mahmoud Darwish.
The delegation is led by Saadoun Sabah Al Kuwari, General Secretary of the Qatar Basketball Federation and Director of National Teams, supported by team manager Jassim Ibrahim Ashknani and administrative assistant Nabil Juma.
The technical staff, headed by coach Demir, includes assistants Cengiz Karadag, Abdu Su, Attila Yapcilar, and Mohammed Fural, with medical support from Dr. Adel Salem, Dr. Adel Hormia, and physiotherapist Nikasio Sagayno.
Lebanon, runners-up in the previous edition and four-time finalists, enters the tournament with high ambitions, led by star player Wael Arakji, alongside Omar Jamaluddin, Ali Mansour, Ali Mezher, Sergio Darwish, and others, under Serbian coach Miodrag Perisic.
Qatar’s Group A journey continues with matches against South Korea on August 8 and Australia on August 10. Group B includes Japan, Iran, Syria, and Guam; Group C comprises China, Jordan, India, and Saudi Arabia; while Group D features the Philippines, New Zealand, Iraq, and Chinese Taipei.
The tournament follows a group-stage format, with group leaders advancing directly to the quarterfinals, while second- and third-placed teams compete in crossover elimination matches to determine the remaining qualifiers.
Historically, Lebanon holds the record as the top Arab team, reaching the finals in 2001, 2005, 2007, and 2022. Qatar achieved notable success with third-place finishes in 2003 and 2005.
China leads the Asia Cup with 16 titles, followed by the Philippines with five, Iran with three, and Australia with two. No Arab team has yet claimed the title, despite ongoing efforts to elevate their standing in Asia.
