Qatar's B team to play eight matches in William Jones International Men's Basketball Championship

Doha : The draw for the 44th edition of the William Jones International Men's Basketball Championship has been conducted. The tournament is set to be hosted by the Chinese Taipei Basketball Association (CTBA) from July 12 to 20, 2025. A diverse array of teams from different continents will participate, including the Qatar B team, which will face the formidable challenge of playing 8 matches over a span of 9 consecutive days.
The teams taking part will include Qatar, Bahrain, Japan, Malaysia, the UAE, the Philippine team Strong Group, and Australia. Chinese Taipei will enter the competition with two teams, A and B, in what is anticipated to be one of the most intense and competitive tournaments regarding both participation and scheduling.
The Qatar B team will kick off their tournament journey on July 12 against the UAE, followed by a match against Japan on July 13, and then Australia on July 14. The next day, they will compete against the Philippine team Strong Group. Their matches will continue on July 16 against Chinese Taipei B, followed by a game against Bahrain on July 17, then a match against Chinese Taipei A on July 19, and they will wrap up their participation with a game against Malaysia on July 20.
The team will finalize its internal training camp in Doha by July 10. This training camp will include rigorous physical and technical assessments to evaluate the players' readiness and to finalize the roster of 14 players in preparation for their trip to Chinese Taipei.
The William Jones Tournament ranks among the oldest unofficial international basketball competitions, with its inaugural edition taking place in 1977.
Named in honor of the late Renato William Jones, the founder of the International Basketball Federation, this tournament showcases national teams and university clubs from across the globe, serving as an excellent platform for acquiring experience and gaining international visibility.
Following this tournament, the Qatar B team is set to compete in the Arab Championship for National Teams, which will occur in the Tunisian city of Nabeul from July 23 to August 3, 2025. This participation is part of a continuous preparation strategy designed to blend seasoned players with emerging talent.
In this context, Mr. Saadoun Sabah Al-Kuwari, Secretary General of the Qatar Basketball Federation and Director of National Teams, emphasized that this participation comes at an ideal time to test the players' abilities and prepare them for upcoming events.
He said, "The national team will participate in the William Jones International Basketball Championship, playing eight matches in nine days. This requires great physical and mental effort from the players, in addition to high-quality training from the technical staff to achieve the required balance and maximize the benefit from the 14-player roster participating in the tournament." Al Kuwari added: "All these preparations are geared towards one goal: serious participation in the Arab Championship in Tunisia, which is an important milestone in the Qatari national team's transition and renewal process. The William Jones Tournament represents a unique opportunity for a group of our young players to gain experience by playing against strong teams and experienced teams."