Qatar’s preparations for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 gathered momentum in Doha, as basketball legend Hidayet “Hedo” Turkoglu expressed confidence in the hosts’ readiness, while young national team player Muhanna al-Hardan shared his ambitions ahead of the tournament.
The official countdown clock was unveiled at Barahat Msheireb, marking 300 days until the global basketball showpiece tips off in Qatar and signalling another milestone in the country’s preparations. The event, organised by the FIBA Basketball World Cup Qatar 2027 Local Organising Committee and the International Basketball Federation, also highlighted the significance of Qatar hosting the competition as the World Cup comes to the Middle East and North Africa region for the first time.
Former Turkish basketball player Turkoglu said Qatar’s experience in staging major international events gave him confidence in its ability to deliver the tournament successfully.
“If you look at Qatar and Doha, they are capable of doing different organisations, and they’ve been doing it really well and really successfully,” Turkoglu told Gulf Times. “I’m sure the FIBA World Cup 2027 will also be a good example for them to be able to host and do it in the best way.”
Turkoglu, who enjoyed a long professional basketball career before moving into sports administration, said he expected the tournament to draw large numbers of international visitors to Doha. “I’m sure next year there will be a lot of people visiting here in Doha, in Qatar, watching the FIBA World Cup 2027,” he said.
For Qatar national basketball team player Muhanna Khalid al-Hardan, the countdown carries a more personal meaning. Standing at the unveiling, the young player said the prospect of a home World Cup was already pushing him to raise his own level. “This is something amazing,” al-Hardan said. “This is something that excites me to train more and try to reach this level of basketball.”
He said seeing Qatar prepare to welcome the basketball world had strengthened that motivation. “It excites me too much to train more and try to reach this level of basketball,” he added. The contrasting perspectives, from an established international basketball figure and a player still striving to reach the highest level, captured the countdown’s wider significance.
