FIBA U18 Asian Championship: Team Qatar departs today for India
DOHA: Qatar’s Under-18 basketball team will travel to Ahmedabad on Tuesday for the FIBA U18 Asian Championship, which runs from August 13 to 23 and serves as a qualification route for next year’s FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup.
Qatar were drawn in Group C alongside China, Iran and Sri Lanka, with their campaign beginning against Iran on Aug. 14. They will face China two days later before completing the group stage against Sri Lanka on Aug. 18.
The top four teams at the Asian championship will qualify for the 2027 FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup in the Czech Republic.
Qatar secured their place in the continental tournament after finishing runners-up at the Gulf U18 Championship in Doha with seven points, behind Bahrain on eight.
The Asian championship features 16 teams divided into four groups. Group A comprises Australia, Chinese Taipei, the Philippines and Thailand, while New Zealand, Lebanon, Bahrain and Syria form Group B. Korea, Japan, India and Kazakhstan are in Group D.
The knockout stage begins on Aug. 20, with the quarter-finals scheduled for Aug. 21 and the semi-finals and classification matches a day later. The final will be played on Aug. 23.
Qatar completed a domestic training camp at Al Gharafa Sports Club under Turkish coach Cengiz Karadağ before travelling to India.
The squad is led administratively by Qatar Basketball Federation Secretary-General Saadoun Sabah Al-Kuwari, while the 12-player roster includes Abdullah Yassin, Tamim Ashraf Abu Issa, Ziad Al-Bitar and Owen Ikina.
