Doha: The Qatar U18 basketball team faced a challenging defeat as they lost 66-118 to China in their second Group C match at the FIBA U18 Asia Cup, which is currently taking place in India and runs through August 23.
According to Qatar News Agency, the tournament features 16 teams divided into four groups. China's team showed its strength, dominating the game by winning all four quarters with scores of 32-11, 32-20, 30-14, and 24-21. Despite the loss, Qatar captain Abdullah Yassin Moussa emerged as the game's top scorer, contributing 22 points, while China's top scorer, Xuan Hao, secured 18 points.
In another Group C matchup, Iran secured their second consecutive group-stage victory by defeating Sri Lanka 110-42. Consequently, China and Iran now lead Group C with four points each, while Qatar and Sri Lanka are in third and fourth place, respectively, with two points each.
Despite Qatar's two losses and their current third-place standing in the group, the team remains in contention for a spot in the knockout stage. To keep their hopes alive, Qatar must defeat Sri Lanka in their final group match on Tuesday, which would potentially secure them at least second place in the group.
The upcoming match between Qatar and Sri Lanka is crucial under the tournament's format. The winners of each group automatically advance to the quarterfinals, while the second and third-placed teams compete in qualification games scheduled for August 20. In Group C, the second-placed team will face the third-placed team from Group D, and vice versa for the third-placed team.
Moreover, the final Group C match between China and Iran will decide the group winner, who will then advance directly to the quarterfinals, while the runner-up will enter the qualification round. The preliminary round, played in a single round-robin format from August 13 to 18, involves four groups of four teams each.
The quarterfinals are set for August 21, followed by the semifinals on August 22 and the final on August 23. Beyond the pursuit of the Asian title, the tournament serves as a qualification path to the 2027 FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup, to be held in Pardubice, Czech Republic, from June 26 to July 4, 2027. The top four teams reaching the semifinals will earn qualification spots for the World Cup.