Action during the match between Oman and Kuwait.
Doha, Qatar: The Gulf qualifying tournament for the FIBA U18 Asian Championship tipped off at Al Gharafa Sports Hall in Doha yesterday. Organised by the Qatar Basketball Federation (QBF), the competition runs until July 30 with five participating teams: Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Oman.
The opening round delivered high drama and intensity, featuring two tightly contested games that saw Oman and Bahrain emerge victorious over Kuwait and Saudi Arabia respectively.
In the first match, Oman secured a hard‑fought 62–59 win against Kuwait in one of the most thrilling encounters of the opening round.
The second game saw Bahrain continue their strong start with a 62–54 triumph over Saudi Arabia.
Qatar face Saudi Arabia in opener
Qatar will begin their campaign facing Saudi Arabia today. Qatar enter the tournament following a comprehensive preparation program. The technical staff focused on enhancing the players’ readiness both physically and tactically, including an overseas training camp in Yalova, Turkiye, where the team played several friendlies.
These matches allowed Turkish head coach Cengiz Karadag to assess player performance and finalize the most competitive lineup for the official matches.
The squad features a promising group of young talents representing the future of Qatari basketball. The final roster includes 12 players led by team captain Abdullah Yassin, alongside Tamim Ashraf Abouissa, Mishal Khalid Al-Mughni, Moaz Omar Mousa, Azzam Mohamed Yaken, Ziad Tamer Al-Johari, Mohamed Saeed Badri, Mahmoud Tamer Ibrahim, Amer Ibrahim Mousa, Owen Ikina, Youssef Walid Abdelqader, and Shahi Mohamed.
The team is managed by Khalid Ahmed Al-Mughni and coached by Cengiz Karadag. He is assisted by Abdo Al-Harji, Hashem Zaidan, and Mounir Ben Ghalla, with Kenan as fitness coach and Seif Al-Din Al-Hamandi as physiotherapist. The administrative team also includes Omar Ahmed and Ayoub Rahmatullah.
Today, Bahrain face Kuwait at 4pm.
These qualifiers carry significant weight as the gateway to the U18 Asian Championship, scheduled for August in Ahmedabad, India.
Beyond qualification to the Asian Championship, the Gulf qualifiers mark an important step toward competing for a place in the FIBA U-19 Basketball World Cup, with the Asian Championship offering four tickets to the global event set to be held in the Czech Republic in 2027.
