Team Qatar defeat Saudi Arabia in opening game of International Friendly Basketball Tournament

alt
July 28, 2025
basketball
feed type icon
28-July-2025

Team Qatar defeat Saudi Arabia in opening game of International Friendly Basketball Tournament

Doha: The Qatar national basketball team opened its campaign in the 2025 International Friendly Tournament with a thrilling 82–78 win over Saudi Arabia at the Lusail Multipurpose Arena. The tightly contested matchup marked the start of the four-team tournament hosted by the Qatar Basketball Federation, running through August 1.

The game remained evenly matched throughout, with the first quarter ending in a 24–24 tie. Qatar then managed to carve out narrow leads in each subsequent quarter — 21–20 in the second, 19–18 in the third, and 18–16 in the fourth — to secure the hard-fought victory.

Brandon Datrill Goodwin led the way for Qatar with 23 points, shooting an impressive 69% from the field. For Saudi Arabia, standout player Mohammed Ali Abdulrahman topped the scoring charts with 24 points in a strong solo showing.

The tournament features national teams from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Japan, and Iraq. Action continues on Wednesday, July 30, with Qatar facing Japan at 5:00 PM, followed by Iraq vs. Saudi Arabia at 7:00 PM. The event concludes on Friday, August 1, with Saudi Arabia taking on Japan and Qatar closing against Iraq.

Coached by Turkish tactician Hakan Demir, the Qatari squad is using this tournament as a crucial part of its preparations for the 31st FIBA Asia Cup, which takes place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from August 5 to 17. Sixteen teams will compete across four groups, with Qatar drawn into Group A alongside Australia, South Korea, and Lebanon.

The Asia Cup features a group-stage format, where group winners advance directly to the quarterfinals. Teams finishing second and third will enter play-in knockout rounds to determine the remaining quarterfinalists.

With high-level opposition and competitive matchups, the International Friendly Tournament offers a valuable testing ground for Qatar to sharpen their form and tactics ahead of the continental showdown.