Qatar launched its campaign in the FIBA U18 Asia Cup Gulf Qualifiers with a hard-fought 80-76 victory over Saudi Arabia in an exciting opening match at Al Gharafa Sports Hall on Sunday.
The six-day tournament, running from July 25-30 in Doha, brings together five Gulf nations - Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman - with the top two teams earning direct qualification to the FIBA U18 Asian Cup.
In a closely contested encounter, Saudi Arabia made the brighter start, taking an 18-15 lead at the end of the opening quarter. Qatar responded strongly in the second period, tightening its defense and improving its offensive execution to claim the quarter 15-11 and head into halftime.
The hosts maintained their momentum after the break, outscoring Saudi Arabia 21-17 in the third quarter to seize control of the contest. Although Saudi Arabia narrowly edged the final period 30-29, Qatar held firm to secure the valuable opening-day win and collect its first two points of the qualifiers.
Abdullah Yassin starred for Qatar with a game-high 24 points, while Ali al-Somal led Saudi Arabia with 21 points. The victory provides Qatar with an important confidence boost as it continues its quest for one of the two qualifying berths to the continental finals.
Elsewhere, Bahrain underlined its title credentials with a commanding 106-51 victory over Kuwait to register its second successive win, having opened the tournament with a 62-54 triumph over Saudi Arabia. Bahrain dominated all four quarters to strengthen its position at the top of the standings.
In the tournament’s opening fixture, Oman claimed a narrow 62-59 victory over Kuwait in a closely fought contest featuring several momentum swings.
Following the latest round of matches, Bahrain leads the standings with four points from two victories, while Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait each have two points as the race for the two qualification spots remains wide open.
