Doha: Qatar will host the Gulf qualifiers for the FIBA U18 Asian Championship at Al Gharafa Sports Hall from July 25 to 30, with teams from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman competing for three places at the continental finals in India next month.
The organising committee confirmed the tournament has been rescheduled from July 17-22 to July 25-30. The five teams will play a single round-robin tournament, with the top three qualifying for the U18 Asian Championship.
The Asian Championship also serves as a pathway to the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup, with the top four teams in India advancing to the 2027 tournament in the Czech Republic.
The action begins on July 25 with Kuwait facing Oman at 4:00 p.m., followed by Saudi Arabia against Bahrain at 6:00 p.m. Qatar opens its campaign on July 26 against Saudi Arabia after Bahrain meets Kuwait. The remaining fixtures are Oman vs. Bahrain and Qatar vs. Kuwait (July 27), Saudi Arabia vs. Kuwait (July 28), Qatar vs. Oman (July 29), and Oman vs. Saudi Arabia followed by Qatar vs. Bahrain on the final day.
Qatar head into the tournament after a training camp in Yalova, Turkiye, where the team played four matches against Turkish clubs and one against Turkiye’s U18 national team.
Qatar’s 11-player squad comprises Tamim Ashraf Abu Issa, Mishal Khalid Al-Mughni, Moaz Omar Mousa, Azzam Mohammed Yaken, Ziad Tamer Al-Johari, Mohammed Saeed Badri, Mahmoud Tamer Ibrahim, Amer Ibrahim Mousa, Owen Ikina, Youssef Walid Abdelqader, and Shahi Mohammed.
