Doha: The Qatari basketball team achieved an important victory over its Indian counterpart with a score of 81-61 in the conclusion of the Asian qualifiers for the 2025 Asian Cup in Jeddah and the 2027 World Cup in Qatar.
The game, held on yesterday evening at Al-Gharafa Hall during the sixth and final round of Group E contests, showcased intense competition between the two teams. The Qatari team secured a well-deserved victory in a game characterized by significant fluctuations in performance from both sides.
The initial phase of the match saw the Indian team take the lead, concluding the first period with a score of 18-17, as they demonstrated remarkable focus during the opening ten minutes.
As the second period commenced, the Qatari team entered the match with renewed vigor, successfully turning the tide and achieving an impressive advantage of 25-4, which significantly boosted their morale for the remainder of the game.
In the third period, the Indian team mounted a comeback, winning that segment 19-17; however, the Qatari team continued to hold the upper hand. At the start of the fourth period, the Qatari team exhibited determination and resilience, ultimately clinching the match with a score of 22-20, thereby securing their fourth consecutive victory in Group Five.
This result added match points to the Qatari team’s balance, which continues its quest to advance in the international rankings.
Tyler Harris, a player for the Qatari team, was the best scorer in the match with 24 points, while Moin Bek Hafeez was the best scorer for the Indian team with 12 points.
In a separate game within the same group, the Iranian team secured a significant victory against the Kazakhstan team, winning with a score of 88-45, thereby maintaining its position at the top of the group standings.
Regarding the Qatari team’s performance in the qualifiers, it is important to highlight that the team successfully qualified for the 31st Asian Cup finals, marking its return to the continental tournament after an eight-year hiatus since the 29th edition held in Lebanon in 2017.
This achievement followed the Qatari team’s triumph over the Kazakh team, with a final score of 92-71 in a match conducted in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, thus marking the team’s 11th qualification in its history. At the conclusion of the sixth round of Group 5 qualifiers, the Iranian team led the overall standings with 11 points, while the Qatari team secured second place with 10 points. The Indian and Kazakh teams each accumulated 7 points. It is noteworthy that the Asian Cup qualifiers are organized in a home-and-away format across three windows, with the top two teams from each of the six groups qualifying directly for the finals, while the third-placed teams will enter additional qualifiers to determine four more teams to represent Asia in the finals.
