Doha – July 29, 2026:
The Qatar U-18 national basketball team has officially booked its place in the FIBA Asia U-18 Championship, after continuing its strong run in the Gulf qualifiers with a third consecutive victory. The team defeated Oman 80–67 on Wednesday evening, July 29, 2026, at Al Gharafa Sports Hall in Doha, in the fourth round of qualifiers organized by the Qatar Basketball Federation.

With this result, Qatar raised its tally to six points from three straight wins, guaranteeing one of the two qualification spots for the continental finals in Ahmedabad, India (August 13–23, 2026), alongside Bahrain, who share the same record. The two sides will now meet in a decisive clash to determine the Gulf qualifiers champion and first place finisher.

Qatar’s qualification capped a remarkable campaign, as the team displayed strength from the opening match, imposing its style and securing positive results that underline its readiness for the continental stage. Against Oman, Qatar overcame a first-quarter deficit (18–19), rallied in the second (23–20), fell behind in the third (9–14), but sealed the win with a dominant fourth quarter (30–14).
Abdullah Yassin starred for Qatar with 38 points, while Adam Suleiman led Oman with 17.

Qatar had opened its qualifiers with a hard-fought 80–76 win over Saudi Arabia, a game marked by momentum swings before Qatar’s composure in the final minutes proved decisive. In the second round, Qatar outclassed Kuwait 81–53 with balanced offense and defense. The third win over Oman secured qualification, reflecting the federation’s investment in youth development.

Elsewhere in Round 4, Saudi Arabia claimed their first victory, defeating Kuwait 75–46. The Saudis started strong (21–5 first quarter), drew the second (13–13), trailed in the third (14–19), but closed emphatically (27–9). Saudi Arabia had earlier lost to Bahrain (62–54) and Qatar (80–76), while Kuwait fell to Oman (62–59), Bahrain (106–51), and Qatar (81–53).

After four rounds, Qatar and Bahrain top the standings with six points each, both assured of qualification. Saudi Arabia and Oman follow with four points apiece, while Kuwait remain winless with four points from four defeats.

Attention now turns to Thursday, July 30, 2026, at Al Gharafa Sports Hall. The final round features two key matchups: Qatar vs. Bahrain at 7:00 PM to decide the Gulf qualifiers champion, and Saudi Arabia vs. Oman at 5:00 PM, with both teams aiming to finish on a high note.

The Qatari squad, guided by Turkish head coach Cenkiz Karadag, represents the future of national basketball. The roster includes: Abdullah Yassin, Tamim Ashraf Abouissa, Mishal Khalid Al-Mughni, Moaz Omar Mousa, Azzam Mohamed Yaken, Ziyad Tamer Al-Johari, Mohamed Saeed Badri, Mahmoud Tamer Ibrahim, Amer Ibrahim Mousa, Owen Ikina, Youssef Walid Abdelqader, and Shahi Mohamed.
Supporting staff feature assistants Abdo Al-Harji, Hashem Zeidan, and Munir Ben Ghalla; fitness coach Kenan; physiotherapist Seif Al-Din Al-Hamandi; team manager Khalid Ahmed Al-Mughni; and administrators Omar Ahmed and Ayoub Rahmatullah.