Qatar’s ‘mission impossible’ stars arrive to warm welcome

Qatar Basketball Federation president Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman al-Thani and Qatar captain Yaseen Musa proudly hold the world championship trophy as they pose team members and officials at the Hamad International Airport yesterday. Qatar’s 3x3 basketball team beat Serbia in the final in Moscow on Sunday to win the prestigious tournament. Picture: Noushad Thekkayil

By Yash Mudgal/DohaThe Qatar basketball team, who won the FIBA 3×3 World Championship men’s title in Moscow on Sunday, were accorded a rousing reception at the Hamad International Airport yesterday evening.A goodly crowd of officials and sports lovers were present at the airport to receive captain Yaseen Musa, Erfaan Saaeed, Mohamed Saleem Abdullah and Boney Watson along with the members of the support staff.It was a proud moment for all the players and the accompanying officials as this is the first world championship title for a Qatar team. Qatar defeated Serbia 18-13 in the final to win the event.Qatar Basketball Federation president and Qatar Olympic Committee secretary-general Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, who was in Moscow for the final and flew back to Doha with the team, heaped praise on the players:  “It was a ‘mission impossible’ but our players made it possible. All the credit goes to the players. They are deserving champions. “This is a historic victory for Qatar and we will use this achievement as a stepping stone for the growth of the young generation of the game.” He added: “This is another feather in Qatar Basketball Federation’s hat. We were the Arab and Asian champions and now we have a world championship title with us. A fantastic show by Musa, Boney, Saleem and Saeed gave us a rare world title in a team sport. I am proud of the achievement.” Watson, who scored eight points in the final and nailed a last-second shot to edge Qatar past Lithuania 14-13 in the semi-final, said: “It is a very big victory for Qatar. I am very happy to win a world championship for the country.”Qatar had opened the tournament poorly, losing 15-17 to Romania. But they rallied strongly to beat Lithuania 15-11 in the next game. They also edged Argentina 14-12 to ensure a place in the round of 16 and once again emerged victorious against Estonia (18-10). Qatar defeated the Czech Republic 21-17 in the quarter-finals.“We are really happy to win a world title for Qatar. It is a big achievement for the small country like Qatar. With this victory the kids should learn that anything is possible if you have belief in yourself and give a hundred percent,” player Mohamed Saleem Abdullah said.Commenting on the matches he added: “There were tough matches as our rivals were regular players of the three-on-three format of the game… that was their job. We are more used to playing five-on-five, but we played our hearts out and won the title.” Veteran Musa, who led the Qatar campaign, said: “The confidence level in the team grew once we defeated Lithuania in the semi-finals and after that it was smooth sailing for us. I think the last-second shot by Boney in the semi-final was the turning point for us. “I am very happy with the win and I am sure many youngsters will pick up the game in Qatar and we will achieve many more victories in the coming years.”