The initial draw for the Gulf Championship placed the Qatari team in the first group alongside Kuwait and the UAE, while the second group includes Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Oman teams.

Qatar’s youth national team defeated Saudi Arabia 86-76 on Wednesday in the GCC U-18 Basketball Championship. 

The match comes after the Qatar players began their campaign at the GCC U18 Basketball Tournament with a 79-60 victory over Kuwait on Tuesday.

Qatar will now play Oman on Thursday before they conclude their group matches against Bahrain on August 2.

The tournament champions and runners-up will finalize the roster of 16 teams for the Asian Cup finals, which will take place in Amman, Jordan, from September 2 to 9.

In 2022, the Qatar team lifted the GCC Mens U18 Basketball Championship after defeating Saudi Arabia 75-51 in the final match.

Qatar’s rise in basketball has framed it as the upcoming host country for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027, becoming the first Middle East and Arab nation to host the event.

The FIBA Basketball World Cup is one of the most critical international basketball competitions, and FIBA, the International Basketball Federation, organizes it.

The tournament is held every four years and features 32 teams worldwide.