Doha – July 19, 2026:
The organizing committee of the Gulf qualifiers for the FIBA U-18 Asian Championship has approved the tournament schedule, which will be hosted in Doha at Al Gharafa Sports Hall from July 25 to 30, following a rescheduling from the previously planned dates of July 17 to 22.

This championship holds significant importance as the official gateway to the U-18 Asian Championship, set to take place in India this August. Five Gulf teams—Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman—will compete for three direct qualification spots to the continental finals.

The competition will follow a single round-robin format, with the top three teams securing their places in Asia. Strong matchups are anticipated, reflecting the growing level of basketball across Gulf youth categories.

Qatar will begin its campaign on Sunday, July 26, 2026, against Saudi Arabia at 6:00 p.m., followed by Kuwait on Monday, July 27 at 6:00 p.m., then Oman on Wednesday, July 29 at 6:00 p.m., and will conclude against Bahrain on Thursday, July 30 at 6:00 p.m. The tournament opens on Saturday, July 25 with Kuwait vs. Oman at 4:00 p.m., followed by Saudi Arabia vs. Bahrain at 6:00 p.m.

Other fixtures include:

• Sunday, July 26: Bahrain vs. Kuwait at 4:00 p.m.
• Monday, July 27: Oman vs. Bahrain at 4:00 p.m.
• Tuesday, July 28: Saudi Arabia vs. Kuwait at 4:00 p.m.
• Thursday, July 30: Oman vs. Saudi Arabia at 4:00 p.m.

Beyond Asian qualification, the continental finals serve as the decisive stage for entry into the FIBA U-19 World Cup, where the top four teams in Asia will secure their spots for the tournament in the Czech Republic from June 26 to July 4, 2027.

As part of preparations, Qatar’s youth team continues its domestic training camp in Doha, following an overseas camp in Yalova, Turkey (July 6–15, 2026). The camp included four friendly matches against Turkish clubs and one against Turkey’s U-18 national team, aimed at boosting technical and physical readiness, enhancing team chemistry, and allowing the coaching staff to test tactical plans and player options ahead of the qualifiers.

The Qatari U-18 delegation is headed by Mr. Khalid Ahmed Al-Mughni. The technical staff is led by Turkish coach Cengiz Karadağ, assisted by Abdo Al-Harji, Hashim Zaidan, and Munir Ben Ghalla, with Kenan as fitness coach and Saif Al-Hamandi as physiotherapist. The administrative staff includes Omar Ahmed and Ayoub Lutfi.

The squad features 11 players: Tamim Ashraf Abu Issa, Mishal Khalid Al-Mughni, Muath Omar Mousa, Azzam Mohammed Yakin, Ziad Tamer Al-Johari, Mohammed Saeed Badri, Mahmoud Tamer Ibrahim, Amer Ibrahim Mousa, Owen Ikina, Youssef Walid Abdelqader, and Shahi Mohammed.