Doha: The Qatari national basketball team secured a hard-fought victory in their second game of the 12th King Abdullah II International Basketball Cup, triumphing 74-72 over the Palestinian team after extra time. This game took place on Sunday evening at Prince Hamzah Hall in Al Hussein Youth City, located in the Jordanian capital, Amman.
The game concluded its four regular quarters with scores of 11-11, 21-15, 16-19, and 15-18, while the extra period ended 11-9 in favor of the Qatari team. This tournament, now in its 12th edition, follows a single-stage league format and serves as a preparatory event for the four participating teams ahead of the double qualifiers for the Asian Cup, scheduled to be held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and the 2027 World Cup in Doha.
The Qatari team commenced their tournament journey with a victory against the Syrian team, winning 75-66, while the Palestinian team faced a defeat in their opening game against the host, Jordan, with a score of 80-92.
This tournament presents a significant opportunity for the Qatari team to enhance their players’ readiness prior to the Asian qualifiers for the 2025 Saudi Asian Cup. Following their second victory, the Qatari team is set to compete in their final game of the tournament against the Jordanian team on Monday, November 18, at 7:30 PM.
The Qatari team’s preparations will continue with a game against the Indian team on November 21 as part of the 2025 Asian Cup qualifiers in India, followed by a game against the Iranian team in Doha on November 25 at Al Gharafa Hall.
The list of players includes: Omar Mohamed Saad, Mustafa Fouda, Mahmoud Darwish, Khaled Rushdi, Babacar Dieng, Nadim Muslik, Mohamed Bashir, Tyler James Lee Harris, Aladji Boubou Magassa, Ndaye Elhaj Sidou, Abdullah Yassin Musa, Mustafa Ndaw.
The Qatari team’s mission in Jordan is headed by Saadoun Sabah Al Kuwari, Secretary General of the Qatar Basketball Federation, and the administrative and technical staff includes Jassim Ashkanani (team manager), Nabil Juma (team administrator), in addition to the technical staff led by Turkish coach Hakan Demir and his assistants. The Jordanian team is the record holder for winning the King Abdullah II International Cup Championship with five titles, and the title holder of the last two editions, while the Lebanese team has two titles, while the Egyptian, Tunisian, Saudi and Lebanese Riyadi teams have one title each.
