Doha, July 19 (QNA) - The organizing committee of the Gulf qualifying tournament for the FIBA U18 Asia Cup has approved the competition schedule for the championship, which will be held in Doha from July 25-30, 2026, after being postponed from its original dates of July 17-22.

The tournament carries added significance as the official qualifier for the FIBA U18 Asia Cup, which will be hosted by India in August.

Five Gulf national teams- Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman- will compete for three direct berths to the continental championship.

The tournament will be played in a single round-robin format, with the top three teams advancing to the FIBA U18 Asia Cup. The event is expected to feature highly competitive matchups that highlight the continued growth of Gulf basketball at the youth level.

Qatar will open their qualifying campaign against Saudi Arabia on Sunday, July 26. The team will then face Kuwait the following day, take on Oman on Wednesday, July 29, and wrap up their campaign against Bahrain on Thursday, July 30.

The tournament will tip off on Saturday, July 25, with Kuwait facing Oman, followed by Saudi Arabia taking on Bahrain.

The stakes extend well beyond qualification for the FIBA U18 Asia Cup.

The continental championship also serves as the final qualifying tournament for the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup, with the top four finishers earning spots at the global event, which will be held in the Czech Republic from June 26 to July 4, 2027.

As part of their preparations for the Gulf qualifying tournament, Qatar's U18 national team continue training in Doha after returning from a training camp in Yalova, Turkiye, held from July 6 to 15.

Qatar's roster includes 11 players: Tamim Ashraf Abu Issa, Meshaal Khalid Al Mughni, Moaz Omar Mousa, Azzam Mohammed Yaken, Ziyad Tamer Al Johari, Mohammed Saeed Badri, Mahmoud Tamer Ibrahim, Amer Ibrahim Mousa, Owen Ikina, Youssef Walid Abdelqader, and Shahi Mohammed. (QNA)