Doha – August 11, 2026:
The Qatar men’s national basketball team is currently holding a training camp in Turkey as part of its preparations for upcoming official commitments, most notably the second phase of the Asian qualifiers for the FIBA Basketball World Cup – Qatar 2027, in addition to participation in the Asian Games “Aichi-Nagoya 2026” in Japan.

The team is led during the camp by Turkish coach Hakan Demir, who is working on preparing the players and enhancing their technical and physical readiness before returning to official competition. The Qatari team faces strong challenges against some of Asia’s top national sides.

Qatar begins its campaign in the second phase of the Asian qualifiers after finishing second in Group D during the first phase with 10 points, behind Lebanon, which topped the group with 11 points.

The draw placed Qatar in Group F alongside Lebanon, Japan, South Korea, China, and Saudi Arabia. Under the home-and-away format, Qatar will also face teams that advanced from the other group.

The national team opens its second-phase fixtures against China on Thursday, August 27, 2026, in Doha, before traveling to face Japan on Sunday, August 30, 2026. Matches continue in the second window with Qatar meeting South Korea on Thursday, November 26, 2026, then Japan on Sunday, November 29, 2026. The campaign concludes with games against China on Friday, February 26, 2027, and South Korea on Monday, March 1, 2027.

Although Qatar is already guaranteed a place in the FIBA Basketball World Cup – Qatar 2027 as the host nation, the qualifiers remain highly significant for coach Hakan Demir and his staff, who aim to benefit from competitive matches against Asia’s strongest teams and raise the squad’s readiness ahead of the World Cup in Doha.

Beyond the qualifiers, Qatar also looks forward to competing in the Asian Games “Aichi-Nagoya 2026,” where the draw placed the team in Group B alongside Iran, Jordan, and Chinese Taipei.

Qatar begins its Asian Games basketball campaign against Iran on September 10, 2026, followed by Jordan on September 12, 2026, before concluding the group stage against Chinese Taipei on September 13, 2026.

The men’s basketball competition at the Asian Games features 12 teams divided into three groups. Group A includes Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia; Group B consists of Qatar, Iran, Jordan, and Chinese Taipei; while Group C brings together China, the Philippines, Bahrain, and Kazakhstan.

Knockout rounds will follow the group stage, culminating in the final to determine the men’s basketball champion of the Games.