New Delhi, August 19 (QNA) - The Qatar U-18 national basketball team will play a match against Japan on Thursday, as part of the playoff round for qualification to the quarterfinals of the Asian U-18 Championship, currently taking place in Ahmedabad, India.
The Qatari team enters the clash determined to secure victory in order to continue its continental journey. Qatar finished the group stage in third place in Group C with 4 points, recording one win and two losses. The team lost to Iran (69-94) in the opening round, then to China (66-118) in the second, before bouncing back with a commanding 90-43 win over Sri Lanka in the third round to keep its hopes alive and secure a place in the playoff.
If Qatar defeats Japan, it will advance to face New Zealand in the quarterfinals on Friday.
Japan finished second in Group D with 5 points, winning two games and losing one. They defeated India (91-56) and Kazakhstan (81-45), but narrowly lost to Republic of Korea (64-67).
The championship is important, as the four semifinalists will qualify for the FIBA U-19 Basketball World Cup 2027, scheduled to take place in Czech Republic. (QNA)