Doha, August 11 (QNA) - The Qatar Basketball Federation announced that it will organize a three-team international friendly tournament featuring Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia from Aug. 20 to 22 at Al Janoub Stadium, as part of preparations for the FIBA Basketball World Cup Qatar 2027 and the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games.

The federation said the tournament comes at a particularly important time for the Qatari national team, which is entering a busy period of international and continental competition. Only a few days separate its matches in the three-team friendly tournament from the start of the fourth window of the Asian qualifiers for the 2027 Basketball World Cup, before the team turns its attention to preparations for the Asian Games, to be hosted by Japan next month.

The tournament provides an important opportunity for Qatar's coaching staff to play a series of matches in quick succession, assess the players' technical and physical readiness, improve cohesion within the squad, and test several options and lineups before entering official competition.

The three-team international friendly tournament will be held over three days and feature three Gulf national teams, providing a competitive environment suitable for preparations for the upcoming period.

Qatar will begin its campaign against Bahrain on Aug. 20 in the opening round. Bahrain will then face Saudi Arabia on Aug. 21 in the second round, before Qatar and Saudi Arabia meet on Aug. 22 in the third and final round.

Following the conclusion of the friendly tournament, Qatar will begin its campaign in the fourth window of the Asian qualifiers for the 2027 Basketball World Cup by facing China in Doha on Aug. 27, before traveling to face Japan on Aug. 30. The two matches will provide significant technical tests for Qatar against experienced and strong opponents on the Asian stage.

The selection of Al Janoub Stadium to host the three-team friendly tournament carries particular significance, as the venue is being prepared for basketball after being converted and equipped from a football facility into an arena capable of hosting basketball matches.

The tournament will provide a practical opportunity to test Al Janoub Stadium's readiness to host basketball games, including the playing surface, equipment, facilities, and operational and organizational arrangements. This will provide valuable experience ahead of the 2027 Basketball World Cup, which will be held for the first time in the Middle East and North Africa, with games staged at Lusail, Al Duhail, Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiyah and Al Janoub arenas. (QNA)