Qatari National Basketball Team Delegation Departs for Jeddah to Compete in FIBA Asia Cup 2025

The delegation of Qatar's senior national basketball team departed on Sunday morning, August 3, 2025, en route to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to participate in the 31st edition of the FIBA Asia Cup. The tournament is set to run from August 5 to 17, 2025, featuring 16 Asian national teams.

Leading the delegation is Mr. Saadoun Sabah Al Kuwari, General Secretary of the Qatari Basketball Federation and Director of National Teams. He is supported by Jasim Ibrahim Ashkanani as team manager and Nabil Jumaa as administrative assistant.

The team is under the technical guidance of Turkish head coach Hakan Demir, assisted by Cengiz Karadag, Abdu Su, Attila Yabgir, and Mohammad Foral. The medical staff includes Dr. Adel Selim, Dr. Adel Hormia, and physiotherapist Nikasio Sagayno.

The 12-player roster comprises: Brandon Goodwin, Alen Hadzibegovic, Seydou Ndiaye, Zinedine Bedri, Tyler Harris, Elhadji Magassa, Omar Saad, Mustafa Ndao, Mohamed Bashir, Babacar Dieng, Abdulrahman Saad, and Mahmoud Darwish.

The tournament draw placed Qatar in Group A alongside Australia, South Korea, and Lebanon—a particularly challenging group given the rankings and competitive levels of the participating teams. Qatar's opening match in the continental competition will be against South Korea on August 6, followed by Lebanon on August 8, and concluding the group stage with a tough encounter against Australia on August 10.

Group B consists of Japan, Iran, Syria, and Guam. Group C includes China, Jordan, India, and Saudi Arabia. Group D features the Philippines, New Zealand, Iraq, and Chinese Taipei.

The event follows a group-stage format, where the top team from each group advances directly to the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, the second- and third-placed teams will compete in crossover elimination matches to determine the remaining qualifiers