Qatar Basketball Federation Secretary General Ali Al Malki and President Ahmed Al Muftah are seen along with other officials during the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Asia qualifying draw in Guangzhou on Sunday.
GCC champions Qatar are optimistic of a good show at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Asia Qualifiers, a top official of Qatar Basketball Federation (QBF) said here yesterday.
“We have a tough group in Iran, Iraq and Kazakhstan but we are very hopeful to qualify for the next round and to be among the 32 teams that will participate at the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup in China,” said QBF Secretary General Ali Al Malki, who attended Sunday’s draw ceremony held in the Chinese city of Guangzhou.
The Official draw ceremony of the Qualifiers for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 placed Qatar in Asia's Group D along with West Asian teams Iraq and Iran besides highest ranked Central Asia team Kazakhstan.
Iran is the highest ranked team in this group.
“It’s been a very busy and exciting week in Guangzhou leading up to the draw ceremony. The draw was open, transparent and extremely fair. FIBA and the Chinese Federation have been very accommodating and welcoming and we must thank them for their hospitality.” Al Malki said.
Qatar will try to bag one of the 7 Asian slots to the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 in China.
“It is great to be here in China meeting and greeting FIBA officials and other world basketball federation members. Qatar looks forward to November and the action getting underway for the World Cup,” QBF President Ahmed Al Mufta said.
“Qatar also welcomes FIBA’s changes to the competition system, which will see Qatar play more international matches at home,” he added.
Qatar will open their qualifiers by hosting Kazakhstan on November 24 on the road to China and on November 27 play their away match against Iran.
The first phase of the FIBA Basketball World Cup Asia Qualifiers has four groups of four teams, and three will advance from each group to the next stage, with seven teams booking a place for the 2019 championship.
Starting in November, the 80 national sides will play home and away games across six qualifying windows spanning a 15-month period to be among the 31 joining hosts China in lining out at the first-ever 32 team edition of FIBA's flagship event.
Meanwhile seasoned international player Arsalan Kazemi of Iran says he is aware of how all the three other Group D teams play, and he believes this familiarity will help him and his teammates notch those all-important wins.
"We are playing with 3 teams that in the recent years have been playing a different type of basketball," he explained.
"Qatar likes the half court game, Iraq has been improving the last couple of years and likes to play a fast pace and Kazakhstan plays very physical basketball."
Iran which open their campaign against Iraq will be hosting Qatar on November 27. Kazemi is looking forward to that as they will be playing in front of their raucous home crowd.
"Playing in front of our home crowd will be great, and we saw that last year when we hosted the FIBA Asia Challenge," he said.
"It will be great for the people to come and support the national team like that every year."
