The Qatar men’s national basketball team secured a valuable victory over India with a score of 65–56 in their matchup on Thursday at Veer Savarkar Hall in Ahmedabad, India.
The game marked the opening of the third window of the Asian qualifiers for the FIBA Basketball World Cup Qatar 2027, within Group D, which also includes Lebanon and Saudi Arabia.
India, playing at home, started strongly and took the first quarter 12–7, then extended their lead in the second quarter 18–15. Qatar responded with improved performance, claiming the third quarter 20–14, before dominating the fourth quarter 23–12 to seal the win.
Qatar’s Abdulrahman Saad was the game’s top scorer with 24 points, while Pranav Prince led India with 13 points.
With this result, Qatar raised its tally to 8 points, while India remained at 5 points, having lost all five of its group matches without a single victory. This was Qatar’s second triumph over India, following their earlier 99–73 win in Doha during the third round.
Qatar had opened its qualifying campaign with a narrow 75–74 loss to Lebanon in Doha, before bouncing back with a crucial 86–83 away win against Lebanon. In their previous outing, Qatar fell to Saudi Arabia 80–86 in Doha.
The team now prepares to continue its qualifying journey, traveling to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for an away clash against Saudi Arabia on July 5, 2026.
The Qatari delegation is headed by Saadoun Sabah al‑Kuwari, Secretary General of the Qatar Basketball Federation and Director of National Teams, assisted by Team Manager Jassim Ibrahim Ashkanani and Assistant Manager Nabil Jumaa.
The squad is coached by Turkish head coach Hakan Demir, supported by assistants Cengiz Karada, Miroje Mimetich, and Abdou Sow, with Mohamed Vural overseeing fitness preparation. The medical staff includes Dr. Adel Harmiyeh, Dr. Adel Salim and Nikasio Sagaino.
Qatar, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia have already secured qualification to the second round of the Asian qualifiers for the FIBA World Cup Qatar 2027.
Qatar’s roster features 12 players: Abdulrahman Saad, Mostafa Fouda, Omar Saad, Zeineddine Badr, Mohamed Hashem, Mostafa Nado, Babacar Dieng, Ousmane Dieng, Aladji Bobo Magassa, Alen Hadzibegovic, Donte Grantham, and Mahmoud Darwish.
