Qatar's Abdullah Yassin goes for a basket
Doha, Qatar: Qatar secured qualification for the FIBA U-18 Asia Cup 2026 after extending their unbeaten run in the Gulf qualifiers with an 80-67 victory over Oman yesterday at Al Gharafa Sports Hall.
Organised by the Qatar Basketball Federation, the tournament serves as the Gulf qualifying event for the continental championship in Ahmedabad, India, from August 13 to 23.
Qatar’s third consecutive win guaranteed one of the two available qualification spots, alongside Bahrain, with both teams now set to meet in a winner-takes-all clash for the Gulf qualifiers title.
Qatar improved to six points from three victories, matching Bahrain’s perfect record ahead of today’s final-round showdown.
The hosts once again showed resilience against Oman. After trailing 19-18 at the end of the first quarter, Qatar edged ahead with a 23-20 second period before falling behind again after the third quarter (9-14).
They responded with a dominant 30-14 final quarter to seal a comfortable 80-67 victory.
Abdullah Yassin produced another outstanding performance, scoring 38 points for Qatar, while Adam Suleiman led Oman with 17.
Qatar began the campaign with a hard-fought 80-76 victory over Saudi Arabia before cruising past Kuwait 81-53 in the second round. The win over Oman completed a flawless qualifying campaign and confirmed the team’s place at the continental finals.
In the other Round 4 fixture, Saudi Arabia claimed their first victory of the tournament with a 75-46 win over Kuwait.
The Saudis dominated the opening quarter 21-5, drew the second 13-13, lost the third 19-14, and finished strongly with a 27-9 final period.
Qatar will face Bahrain at 7:00pm in today's decisive match to determine the Gulf qualifiers champions, while Saudi Arabia will take on Oman at 5:00pm.
