Qatar hoopsters still hopeful of knockout stage qualification

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August 16, 2026
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16-August-2026

Qatar hoopsters still hopeful of knockout stage qualification

Doha: Qatar’s U-18 basketball team hasn’t lost on the hope of making it to the knockout stages of the FIBA U-18 Asia Cup despite suffering a 66–118 defeat against China at the Veer Savarkar Indoor Hall in Ahmedabad. The game was part of Group C’s second-round fixtures in the tournament, which runs until August 23 with 16 teams divided into four groups.

China asserted their dominance from the very start, winning the first quarter 32–11, then extending the lead with a 32–20 second quarter. The gap widened further in the third quarter (30–14), while the fourth was more balanced, ending 24–21 in China’s favour.

Despite the margin, Qatar captain Abdullah Yassin Mousa emerged as the game’s top scorer with 22 points. China’s standout was Xuan Hao, who scored 18 points.

In another Group C match, Iran defeated Sri Lanka 110–42, securing its second consecutive win. With these results, China and Iran lead the group standings with four points each, while Qatar and Sri Lanka share third and fourth place with two points apiece.

Qatar now face a decisive final group-stage match against Sri Lanka on Tuesday (August 18) at 11am (Doha Time). The team is aiming for a win to strengthen their chances of finishing third and advancing to the qualification round.

The match carries added importance due to the tournament format: group leaders advance directly to the quarterfinals, while second- and third-placed teams play qualification games on August 20. In this setup, Group C’s second-place team will face Group D’s third, while Group C’s third will meet Group D’s second.

China and Iran will also clash on August 18 at 8am (Doha Time), a game that will decide the group leader.

Qatar began their campaign with a 69–94 loss to Iran, while China opened with a commanding 103–55 win over Sri Lanka before defeating Qatar.

The Qatari squad includes: Abdullah Yassin, Tamim Ashraf Abu Issa, Ziad Al Bitar, Moaz Omar Mousa, Azzam Mohamed Yaken, Ziad Tamer Al Johari, Mohamed Saeed Badri, Mahmoud Tamer Ibrahim, Amer Ibrahim Mousa, Owen Ikina, Youssef Walid Abdelqader, and Shahi Mohamed.

The delegation is headed by Saadoun Sabah Al Kuwari, Secretary General of Qatar Basketball Federation and Director of National Teams. The team is coached by Algerian Munir Ben Ghalla, assisted by Hashem Zidan, with Kenan overseeing physical preparation and Saif Al Din Al Hamandi supervising medical and rehabilitation.

Beyond the Asian title, the championship serves as a qualifying pathway to the FIBA U-19 Basketball World Cup 2027, scheduled in Pardubice, Czech Republic, from June 26 to July 4, 2027. The four semi-finalists will earn tickets to the World Cup.

Group C features Qatar, China, Iran, and Sri Lanka. Group A includes Australia, Chinese Taipei, the Philippines, and Thailand; Group B has New Zealand, Lebanon, Bahrain, and Syria; while Group D brings together Korea, Japan, India, and Kazakhstan.

The group stage continues until August 18, followed by qualification games on August 20, quarter-finals on August 21, semi-finals on August 22, and the final on August 23.