Qatar to face Lebanon in 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup qualifiers

Doha: Qatari national team will face Lebanon on Thursday evening at the Lusail Multipurpose Hall in the first round of Group D matches in the Asian qualifiers for the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup.Tomorrow's match is of great importance, as it marks the beginning of Qatar's crucial journey towards qualifying for the World Cup finals, which Qatar will host for the first time in the Middle East, from Aug. 27 to Sep. 12, 2027, with 32 teams participating.The Qatari national team concluded its preparations this evening for tomorrow's match. They are scheduled to visit the Lebanese national team in Beirut next Sunday at the Nouhad Nawfal Sports and Theater Complex in Beirut, for the second round of matches in Group D, which also includes the Saudi and Indian national teams.The Asian and Oceanian qualifiers feature 16 teams, divided into four groups. Group A consists of Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, and Guam; Group B includes Japan, China, South Korea, and Taiwan; Group C comprises Iran, Jordan, Syria, and Iraq; and Qatar is in Group D alongside Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and India.The top three teams from each group qualify for the second round, and the qualified teams are then divided into two new groups.Three teams from each group qualify for the World Cup finals, in addition to the best fourth-placed team from the two groups. 

Procedures for the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final Draw revealed

Zurich: With fewer than 200 days to go until the start of the first-ever 48-team FIFA World Cup™, the procedures for determining the composition of the tournament's 12 unprecedented groups of four have been confirmed. One of the most thrilling milestones on the road to the FIFA World Cup, the Final Draw will bring together coaches and officials from all qualified teams — and those still in contention — on Friday, 5 December, at the prestigious John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC, where they will discover their opponents in pursuit of ultimate glory.The Final Draw procedures stipulate that the hosts Canada, Mexico and the USA will be allocated to pot 1, and the 39 remaining qualified teams will be allocated to the four pots of 12 teams each according to the FIFA/Coca-Cola Men’s World Ranking issued on Wednesday, 19 November 2025. Lastly, the two FIFA World Cup 2026 Play-Off Tournament placeholders, as well as the four European play-off placeholders, will be allocated to pot 4.For pot 1, Canada, Mexico and the USA, as the host countries, will be identified by different coloured balls and, when drawn, will be assigned to position A1 for Mexico (green ball), B1 for Canada (red ball) and D1 for the USA (blue ball), as already established per the match schedule released on 4 February 2024. The remaining nine top-ranked teams in pot 1 will be identified by nine balls of the same colour and automatically allocated to position 1 of the group into which they are drawn.To ensure competitive balance, two separate pathways to the semi-finals have been established when developing the match schedule. In order to have a balanced distribution of the teams, the four highest-ranked teams in the FIFA/Coca-Cola Men’s Ranking, when drawn, will have the following constraints: the highest-ranked team (Spain) and the second highest-ranked team (Argentina) will be randomly drawn into opposite pathways, and the same principle will apply to the third (France) and fourth (England) highest-ranked teams. This will ensure that, should they win their groups, the two highest-ranked teams will not meet before the final.For pots 2, 3 and 4, each team’s group position will be determined according to a predefined allocation pattern. This pattern is detailed in the table included in the draw procedures document. A team’s position within the group will then be determined by the pot from which they are drawn and by the group into which they are drawn.In principle, no group will have more than one team from the same confederation drawn into it. This applies to all confederations except UEFA, which is represented by 16 teams. Each group must have at least one, but no more than two UEFA teams drawn into it.For the two FIFA Play-Off Tournament placeholders, in order to comply with FIFA’s general principle to ensure that no group has more than one team from the same confederation drawn into it, the confederation constraint will be applied to all three teams within each pathway of the two FIFA Play-Off Tournament placeholders in pot 4.

Strong results for Qatar at Arab U18 3×3 Basketball Championship

Doha:  The Qatari national teams delivered strong performances in the group stage of the Arab U18 3×3 Basketball Championship for boys and girls, which kicked off today in Muscat, Oman, jointly organized by the Oman Basketball Federation and the Arab Basketball Federation.The championship is being played in a single round-robin format, with the top four teams advancing to the knockout stage. In the semi-finals, the first-place team will face the fourth-place team, while the second and third teams meet, with the winners progressing to the final.Qatar began its campaign with a hard-fought victory over Lebanon (14–12) in a closely contested match, securing the win in the decisive moments.In their second match, Qatar continued its strong form by defeating Oman B (21–16). The team then capped off Day 1 with another solid win, this time against Oman A (17–11), reinforcing its position as a leading contender for the championship title.The Qatari girls’ team also enjoyed an excellent start, showcasing impressive performances throughout the opening day. They opened their campaign with two commanding wins over Oman B (21–4) and Oman A (20–3).Qatar then secured another decisive victory against Kuwait (16–2) to conclude the group stage unbeaten and firmly at the top of the standings.The second and final day of competition will feature the knockout rounds, which will determine the top three finishing teams.Meanwhile, Oman will also host the GCC 3×3 Basketball Championship for men and women on November 28 and 29.

QBF and Microsoft Qatar Unveil AI-Powered Platform Transforming the Road to FIBA Basketball World Cup Qatar 2027

Doha: The Qatar Basketball Federation (QBF) announced today the launch of its new website which will be an innovative smart digital platform powered by advanced artificial intelligence technologies. QBF is becoming one of the first federations in the world developing an AI powered website. This milestone reflects Qatar’s strong commitment to accelerating digital transformation in the sports sector as the country prepares to host the FIBA Basketball World Cup Qatar 2027.Developed in partnership with Microsoft Qatar, the platform embodies a shared vision to redefine how fans, players, and partners interact with the sport. Powered by Microsoft Cloud and cutting-edge AI capabilities, the new website delivers an immersive digital experience featuring Real-time analysis of matches and related statistics, personalized content, predictive insights, and interactive tools that strengthen the connection between the community and basketball.QBF President Mohammed Saad Al-Meghaiseeb said: “This launch marks a significant step in our digital transformation journey. Our ambition is to inspire the next generation of fans and players through technology. Our partnership with Microsoft Qatar reflects our shared vision to position Qatar as a global hub for innovation and to elevate the fan experience ahead of the FIBA Basketball World Cup Qatar 2027.”For his part, Microsoft Qatar General Manager Ahmed Al-Dandachi said: “We are proud to support the Qatar Basketball Federation in building an advanced, intelligent ecosystem for the sport. With the power of artificial intelligence and Microsoft’s trusted cloud technologies, fans, players, and coaches will enjoy entirely new digital experiences. This initiative sets a new global benchmark for how technology can elevate sports.”The new platform features AI-generated content, predictive match analytics, interactive dashboards, and fully personalized fan experiences. Users can explore real-time team performance data, access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, and engage through innovative tools such as the Fan MVP vote, smart content feeds, and digital experiences that connect local and international audiences to Qatar’s basketball culture.This launch marks the first phase of a multi-year roadmap between QBF and Microsoft Qatar aimed at enhancing every aspect of the sport—from player performance analytics and talent identification to media content and fan engagement—using the latest cloud, data, and AI technologies.As the countdown to the FIBA Basketball World Cup Qatar 2027 continues, the State of Qatar is moving confidently toward delivering the first AI-powered fan experience in the tournament’s history, setting a new global standard for how technology can inspire, entertain, and unite basketball fans around their passion for the game.You can visit the website https://qatarbasketball.qa/ and get to know "Najm", who is the digital persona of the Qatar Basketball Federation website, and who will accompany and guide you on your journey with basketball in Qatar and around the world.

Qatar’s Basketball Teams to compete in Arab and Gulf 3×3 Championships

Doha: The Qatar Basketball Federation has officially announced that the national youth, women’s youth, men’s, and women’s 3×3 teams will participate in the upcoming Arab and Gulf 3×3 Basketball Championships, to be hosted in Muscat, Oman, from 25 to 29 November 2025. The events are organized by the Oman Basketball Association in cooperation with the Arab Basketball Federation.This extensive participation reflects the Federation’s commitment to strengthening Qatar’s presence in regional and Arab competitions, while providing athletes across various age groups with opportunities to gain experience and enhance their technical skills. The initiative aligns with the Federation’s strategy to raise the readiness of all national teams ahead of future Gulf and Asian competitions.The Arab U18 3×3 Championships for men and women will kick off on Tuesday, 25 November, with participating Arab teams arriving in Muscat. All games will be held at the high-standard Al Mouj Muscat facilities, reflecting Oman’s status as a distinguished sporting destination.Qatar’s U18 men’s team will play the group stage in a single round-robin format, with the top four teams advancing to the semi-finals. They will begin their campaign with a tough opening match against Lebanon, followed by a competitive second game against Oman (B).The U18 women’s team enters the tournament with strong ambitions and will open against Oman (B), before facing a tougher challenge against Oman (A) as they aim to secure a top position and advance to the final rounds.Group-stage matches will run through Tuesday evening, with the Arab Championships concluding on 26 November with the awarding ceremonies for both age groups.Following the Arab Championships, Qatar will continue its participation in Muscat through the men’s and women’s national teams at the Gulf 3×3 Championship, scheduled for 28–29 November at the same Al Mouj Muscat courts. This tournament will bring together Gulf national teams in one of the region’s most important 3×3 competitions.The Qatar Basketball Federation emphasized that competing in both the Arab and Gulf 3×3 Championships represents a valuable opportunity for international exposure and technical development—especially for youth categories that require repeated high-level experience ahead of upcoming continental events. 

Qatar Olympic Committee Signs MoU with Microsoft to Drive Innovation and Digital Transformation in Sports

DOHA  – Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Microsoft today, aimed at enhancing future collaboration in digital transformation projects and developing smart solutions and innovative technologies in the sports sector.The signing ceremony took place at QOC headquarters in Doha in the presence of senior officials from both sides. The agreement was signed by H.E. Jassim Rashid Al-Buenain, Secretary-General of the Qatar Olympic Committee, and Mr. Ahmad Al-Dandachi, General Manager of Microsoft Qatar.The MoU includes cooperation in implementing the latest digital solutions from Microsoft, including cloud computing technologies and artificial intelligence applications. This contributes to raising the level of operational performance and supports QOC’s strategies in developing Qatari sports, as well as organizing major sporting events that are in line with Qatar National Vision 2030.Amongst the main projects being implemented with Microsoft is the "Khadoom" application, which provides a consolidated portal for employees to submit requests and complete transactions easily using artificial intelligence; the "Executive dashboard", which allows access to data and statistics and their analysis to make efficient decisions; and the "Media portal", which provides smart archiving of sports media content, facilitating the process of searching and sharing. The partnership also includes other digital programs and initiatives under development that would enhance the sustainability of innovation and contribute to building an integrated digital sports environment.Commenting on the partnership, H.E. Jassim Rashid Al-Buenain stated: “At Qatar Olympic Committee, we are committed to adopting the latest technologies in support of our strategic goals in sporting excellence. This partnership with Microsoft reflects our ongoing dedication to digital transformation that enhances the sports ecosystem and drives it to new horizons, which is in line with global developments in the field of sports technology.We consider this step a fundamental pillar for enhancing innovation and developing a smart work environment that contributes to empowering the national workforce, as well as achieving the highest levels of efficiency and transparency in managing operations and events organised by the Olympic Committee. This partnership would also enhancing our ability to build an integrated system based on artificial intelligence and advanced analytics, thus consolidating Qatar’s position as a leading destination in the field of sports innovation.”Similarly, Mr. Ahmad Al-Dandachi, General Manager of Microsoft Qatar, expressed pride in the collaboration, saying: “We are honored to partner with Qatar Olympic Committee and look forward to contributing to its continued success through cutting-edge technology solutions that support its vision for the future of Qatari sport.”