Temi Kings
DOHA — The Qatari U18 basketball squad delivered another strong performance on home court, marching past Kuwait with an impressive 81–53 triumph at Al Gharafa Sports Hall. The result keeps the hosts at the summit of the Gulf qualifying table alongside Bahrain, as both nations press forward in their pursuit of berths at the upcoming FIBA Asian U18 Championship.
The victory marks two wins from two outings for the Qatari side, following their tense 80–76 opening-day thriller against Saudi Arabia. Building momentum throughout the contest, Qatar controlled the pace early on against Kuwait, carving out a 20–14 lead in the first frame before pulling away with a dominant 26–13 display in the second. Maintaining their foot on the pedal, the hosts added a 25–14 third quarter to effectively seal the result, absorbing a late 12–10 final push from Kuwait to comfortably close out the night.
Team captain Abdullah Yassin put on an offensive clinic to lead all scorers with a 21-point performance, while Ali Al-Hindal stood out for Kuwait with an 11-point effort. Qatar’s roster, featuring talents such as Tamim Ashraf Abouissa, Mishal Khalid Al-Mughni, Moaz Omar Mousa, Azzam Mohammed Yaken, Ziad Tamer Al-Johari, Mohammed Saeed Badri, Mahmoud Tamer Ibrahim, Amer Ibrahim Mousa, Owen Ikina, Youssef Walid Abdelqader, and Shahi Mohammed—demonstrated sharp defensive positioning and lightning-fast counter-attacks throughout the match.
The squad’s tactical setup is guided by head coach Cengiz Karadag alongside assistants Abdo Al-Harji, Hashem Zaidan, and Munir Ben Ghalla, supported by fitness coach Kenan and physiotherapist Saif Al-Din Al-Hamandi. Team operations are spearheaded by manager Khalid Ahmed Al-Mughni alongside administrative officers Omar Ahmed and Ayoub Rahmatullah.
Elsewhere in second-round action, Bahrain matched Qatar’s 2–0 record by handing Oman a heavy 94–49 defeat. The Bahraini team asserted their authority right from the jump, establishing quarter leads of 22–12, 30–10, and 25–9 before Oman managed a slight 18–17 edge in the fourth. The result builds on Bahrain’s initial 62–54 win against Saudi Arabia, firmly establishing them as top-tier contenders for the tournament’s crown.
With two rounds in the books, Qatar and Bahrain lead the five-nation round-robin with 4 points apiece. Oman and Kuwait follow tied on 3 points, having previously faced off in an opening thriller where Oman narrowly won 62–59—while Saudi Arabia sits fifth on 2 points. All five teams remain mathematically alive heading into the final stretch.
Following a rest day on Tuesday, July 28, competition resumes at Al Gharafa Hall on Wednesday, July 29, with Saudi Arabia clashing with Kuwait at 5:00 p.m., followed by Qatar taking on Oman at 7:00 p.m. The qualifiers wrap up on Thursday, July 30, headlined by a prime-time clash between Qatar and Bahrain at 7:00 p.m. that is expected to decide the tournament champion and secure passage to August’s continental championship in Ahmedabad, India, which itself serves as the regional qualifier for the FIBA U19 World Cup 2027 in the Czech Republic.
