Qatar players celebrate after winning a match.
Doha, Qatar: Qatar went down fighting to New Zealand in the final of the fourth stage of the FIBA U23 3x3 Nations League (Asia-Pacific), by a narrow 21-20 margin at the Qatar Basketball Federation (QBF) Hall in Al Gharafa yesterday.
The Qatari side emerged as a dominant force in Pool B, powering past Chinese Taipei (21-11) and Singapore (21-12) to set up a showdown with New Zealand.
Qatar team, comprised of Hamad Yassin Mousa, Zaineeddine Bedri, Ahmed Saeed Mohammed and Mubarak Jama, pushed the Kiwis to the brink but fell short by just one point at the final whistle.
With two more rounds to go, the hosts have amassed a total of 340 points over the four completed stages, with second-place finishes in the first and second stages and a victory in the third. New Zealand, however, edged Qatar for the overall lead with 380 points, following their victories in the first, second, and fourth stages.
The Philippines are third overall with 280 points, while Singapore are in fourth spot (215), Chinese Taipei (210) fifth, and Indonesia (195) sixth.
Meanwhile, the Qatar women’s team lost both of their games, against The Philippines (9-21) and New Zealand (3-21) in Group A.
The Qatar women’s team comprises Salha Ismail, Mona Abdelmonem, Sama Gasir and Lamis Gamal Hanafi.
The Philippines lead the women’s standings with 370 points, while Chinese Taipei occupy the second spot after claiming 320 points.
New Zealand are third (310), Singapore fourth (230) and Indonesia are fifth (210), while Qatar are at the bottom with 180 points.
The fifth and penultimate round of the Championships will be held today.
The tournament, hosted by the QBF, is part of the promotional campaign as Qatar gears up to host the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
Organised in collaboration with FIBA, the tournament also serves as a qualifying event for the FIBA U23 3x3 Basketball World Cup. The winners of the Doha event will secure spots in the global finals scheduled to be held in Xiong’an, China from September 17-21.
