Ayo Victor
DOHA: Al Sadd and Al Arabi made impressive winning starts to the 2026–2027 General Basketball U-19 League after recording convincing victories in the opening round at the Federation Hall.
Al Sadd produced the most emphatic result of the opening day, cruising past Al Khor 90-35 in a one-sided encounter.
The winners dominated from the outset, racing to a 35-10 lead in the opening quarter. Al Khor responded with a more competitive second period, but Al Sadd still went into halftime with a commanding advantage.
Al Sadd then regained complete control in the third quarter, outscoring their opponents 28-9 before closing out the match with a 17-7 final period to complete a 55-point victory.
The result earned Al Sadd two points, while Al Khor collected one point.
In the other opening-round fixture, Al Arabi defeated Al Wakrah 74-57 after establishing a commanding advantage in the first half.
Al Arabi started strongly, winning the opening quarter 23-9 before adding another 21-13 in the second to take a 44-22 lead into the interval.
Al Wakrah improved after the break and won the fourth quarter 21-15, but Al Arabi had already built an advantage that proved too large to overcome. The victory gave Al Arabi an important opening win in their campaign.
The opening round will continue on Monday, September 21, with Al Shamal taking on Qatar Club at 5pm, followed by Al Ahli against Al Rayyan at 6:30pm.
Round Two will begin on September 28, when Qatar Club face Al Wakrah at 5pm and Al Rayyan meet Al Shamal at 6:30pm. The round will conclude on October 5 with Al Arabi playing Al Khor at 5pm and Al Sadd facing Al Gharafa at 6:30pm.
Round Three is scheduled to begin on November 3, with Al Wakrah meeting Al Rayyan and Al Khor facing Qatar Club. The remaining fixtures will be played on November 10, including Al Gharafa against Al Arabi and Al Shamal against Al Ahli.
Round Four will be staged on November 16 and 23, with Al Rayyan, Al Ahli, Qatar Club, Al Arabi, Al Sadd and Al Gharafa among the teams in action as the competition continues.