Doha, August 24 (QNA) - The Qatar men's national basketball team continues its intensive preparations ahead of its upcoming clash with China on Thursday at Al Janoub Indoor Arena, as part of the second stage of the Asian Qualifiers for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027.

The preparations focus on enhancing players' readiness across technical, physical, and educational dimensions.

As part of this effort, the players attended an educational workshop organized under the "Qudwa" program, reflecting the team's commitment to strengthening awareness and developing capabilities beyond the court, alongside athletic preparation for the highly anticipated encounter with China.

The workshop addressed several educational aspects aimed at reinforcing values of discipline, responsibility, and commitment, while instilling the concept of role-modeling among athletes, in line with their position as figures to be emulated both on and off the court.

The timing of the workshop was particularly significant, coming just days before the crucial match against China. Head coach Hakan Demir and his staff are keen to maximize the benefits of the current preparation phase and elevate the players to peak readiness.

Earlier this month, the team held a 10-day training camp in Turkiye, which formed a key stage in its preparation program. The camp focused on improving fitness levels, boosting team cohesion, and refining technical and tactical aspects. The camp concluded with a friendly victory over Palestine, 89-72.

Upon returning to Doha, the team entered a new phase of preparations, competing in two friendly matches against Bahrain and Saudi Arabia during the Doha International Triangular Friendly Tournament (August 20-22). These matches provided the coaching staff with an additional opportunity to assess player readiness before resuming official competition.

The friendlies against Bahrain and Saudi Arabia served as important tests, following the intensive work in Turkiye. The coaching staff experimented with tactical options and gave players valuable competitive exposure ahead of the China match, while identifying areas requiring further improvement in the final days of preparation.

Qatar will face China on Thursday in Doha, before traveling to Japan for a match on August 30, as part of the second stage of the Asian Qualifiers. The campaign continues in November, when Qatar hosts Korea on November 26 and Japan on November 29, before concluding this stage with return fixtures against China (February 26, 2027) and Korea (March 1, 2027).

These preparations also coincide with Qatar's build-up to the Asian Games "Aichi-Nagoya 2026" in Japan, where the team has been drawn in Group B alongside Iran, Jordan, and Chinese Taipei. Qatar begins its campaign against Iran on September 10, followed by Jordan on September 12, and Chinese Taipei on September 13. (QNA)