Team Qatar U18 Basketball Team Steps Up Preparations for Asian Championship

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August 12, 2026
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12-August-2026

Team Qatar U18 Basketball Team Steps Up Preparations for Asian Championship

AHMEDABAD - Qatar’s U18 basketball team has stepped up its preparations in the Indian city of Ahmedabad ahead of the Asian U18 Basketball Championship, which gets underway on Thursday and runs through August 23, bringing together several of the continent’s leading youth national teams.

Following their arrival in Ahmedabad, the Qatar squad entered an intensive training camp under Algerian head coach Monir Ben Ghalla. The camp is focused on sharpening the players’ technical and physical readiness, fine-tuning the team’s tactical approach, and finalizing the lineup for the opening match.

Qatar will launch its campaign against Iran on Friday in Group C, before taking on China on Sunday and Sri Lanka on Tuesday in the group stage.

The 12-player squad comprises Abdullah Yassin, Tamim Ashraf Abu Issa, Ziad Al Bitar, Muath Omar Musa, Azzam Mohammed Yakan, Ziad Tamer Al Johari, Mohammed Saeed Badri, Mahmoud Tamer Ibrahim, Amer Ibrahim Musa, Owen Ekena, Yousef Waleed Abdulqader, and Shahi Mohammed.

The championship carries added significance for Qatar, as it also serves as a qualification pathway to the 2027 FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup in the Czech Republic. The top four teams at the Asian Championship will secure their places at the global tournament.

Qatar completed the final phase of its preparations in Doha through an intensive training programme at Al Gharafa Sports Hall, where the coaching staff worked extensively to enhance the players’ technical abilities, physical conditioning, tactical understanding, and overall match readiness.

With the Asian championship offering both a major continental challenge and a coveted ticket to the 2027 FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup, Qatar will look to translate its intensive preparations into strong performances throughout the competition.