US Ambassador to Qatar H E Timmy Davis (fourth left) and QBF President Mohammed bin Saad Al Mughaiseeb with the victorious Qatar team.
Doha, Qatar: The Qatar U23 men’s basketball team signed off on a victorious note at the FIBA 3x3 Nations League - Asia-Pacific Zone, delivering a standout performance to secure the title in the sixth and final stage at the Qatar Basketball Federation (QBF) Hall at Al Gharafa yesterday.
The Qatari side finished their campaign with a hard-fought 17-14 win over New Zealand in the final, handing the Kiwis their second defeat in the tournament. Earlier in the group stage, the hosts defeated Chinese Taipei (21-9) and Indonesia (21-14) to book their place in the title clash for a sixth consecutive time.
The tournament, which featured 12 elite men’s and women’s youth teams, showcased world-class 3x3 cager talent. Qatar men’s triumph in yesterday’s final raised their overall points tally to 520, bolstered by victories in the third and sixth stages, placed them in strong contention for a spot at the 3x3 FIBA World Cup which is to be held in Xiong’an, China in September.
On the other hand, New Zealand advanced to the final after defeating Philippines (18-16) and Singapore (21-19) in the Pool Stage.
The Kiwis topped the overall rankings with 560 points, claiming first place in four stages and runners-up spots in the remaining two.
The Philippines secured third place in the standings with 420 points, followed by Singapore (325), Chinese Taipei (305), and Indonesia (300) in sixth spot after six rounds of intense action.
Team Qatar had the services of Nazar Mahmoud, Hamad Yassin Mousa, Zineeddine Bedri, and Mubarak Juma.
New Zealand captured the top honors in the women’s division after edging Chinese Taipei 21-19 in the final.
Despite not making to the final in the last round, the Philippines finished the series at the top with 530 points, followed by New Zealand and Chinese Taipei followed with 480 points each. Singapore (360), Indonesia (310), and Qatar (270) rounded out the table.
US Ambassador to Qatar H E Timmy Davis and QBF President Mohammed bin Saad Al Mughaiseeb, presented the trophies to the winners.
Following the highly successful tournament, the QBF President expressed his pride in the home team’s performance, linking it to the Federation’s focused efforts on youth development.
“We take great pride in the exceptional performance of our national youth team, which exemplifies the ongoing efforts and strategy implemented by the Association to enhance the 3x3 game at the youth level,” Al Mughaiseeb said.
In recognition of his continued support for sport events in Qatar, Al Mughaiseeb presented a special token of appreciation to Ambassador H E Timmy Davis, also symbolizing the strong sporting and diplomatic ties between the two nations.
