Qatar National Basketball Team Intensifies Preparations for Asia Cup Clash with Lebanon

Doha, Qatar – August 4, 2025

The Qatar National Basketball Team is ramping up its preparations for a highly anticipated matchup against Lebanon, scheduled for 9:00 PM on Wednesday, August 6, 2025, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This game marks the opening fixture for both teams in Group A of the 31st FIBA Asia Cup 2025, hosted by Saudi Arabia for the second time, following its successful organization of the 1997 edition in Riyadh.

The tournament draw placed Qatar in the formidable Group A alongside Australia, South Korea, and Lebanon, widely regarded as one of the toughest groups due to the high caliber of the competing teams. Qatar’s campaign will continue with a match against South Korea on August 8, followed by a challenging encounter with Australia on August 10 to conclude the group stage.

The tournament features four groups: Group B includes Japan, Iran, Syria, and Guam; Group C comprises China, Jordan, India, and Saudi Arabia; and Group D consists of the Philippines, New Zealand, Iraq, and Chinese Taipei. Under the competition format, group leaders advance directly to the quarterfinals, while second- and third-placed teams compete in crossover knockout matches to determine the remaining qualifiers.

The Qatari delegation is led by Mr. Saadoun Sabah Al Kuwari, General Secretary of the Qatar Basketball Federation and Director of National Teams, supported by Mr. Jasim Ibrahim Ashkanani as Team Manager and Mr. Nabil Juma as Assistant Manager. The team is coached by Turkish tactician Hakan Demir, with assistants Cengiz Karadag, Abdu Su, Atilla Yapciger, and Mohammed Fural. The medical staff includes Dr. Adel Selim, Dr. Adel Hormia, and physiotherapist Nikasio Sagayno
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Qatar’s 12-player roster features Brandon Goodwin, Alen Hadzibegovic, Seydou Ndai, Zain Eddin Badri, Tyler Harris, Aladji Magassa, Omar Saad, Mustafa Ndao, Mohammed Bashir, Babacar Dieng, Abdulrahman Saad, and Mahmoud Darwish.
The FIBA Asia Cup, held every four years, is a premier continental championship, featuring top teams including defending champions Australia (winners in 2017 and 2022), Japan, Jordan, Lebanon, New Zealand, the Philippines, India, Chinese Taipei, Iraq, Guam, Qatar, Iran, South Korea, China, and Syria. Historically, China leads with 16 titles, while the Philippines, Lebanon, Iran, and South Korea remain strong contenders. The inaugural edition was held in Manila in 1960, with Oceania teams joining the competition in recent years.

The host nation, Saudi Arabia, will kick off the tournament against China on Tuesday, August 5, 2025, with the opening ceremony taking place during halftime. The ceremony will feature a four-minute 3D light and visual show, a three-minute performance of the official tournament anthem, a professional acrobatic display, and an engaging halftime interactive segment for fans, blending lighting, music, and dynamic performances to celebrate the event’s identity.

Other opening-day matches include Iraq vs. New Zealand, Jordan vs. India, and the Philippines vs. Chinese Taipei.