Doha, August 26 (QNA) - Basketball fans will turn their attention on Thursday to the South Hall in Al Wakrah, which will officially open its doors as a major new sports venue and a sustainable legacy facility joining Qatar's leading sporting infrastructure.
The opening coincides with a highly anticipated clash between the Qatar national team and China, as Qatar looks to secure a positive result in front of its home fans.
The match is part of the second round of the Asian qualifiers for the FIBA Basketball World Cup Qatar 2027, which Qatar will host for the first time in the Middle East and North Africa.
The new venue is being inaugurated exactly one year before the start of the World Cup on August 27 next year. 
Qatar's basketball officials hope it will provide a major boost to the national team's World Cup campaign and serve as an ideal venue for hosting major international and regional competitions.
Qatar faces a difficult task against China, one of Asia's leading basketball teams. China also holds a clear advantage in previous meetings, having recorded six victories. 
The most recent encounter came at the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup, when China won 92-67. China also defeated Qatar 89-65 in 2015 and 96-85 in 2013, as well as recording other victories in previous editions.
The Qatar team enters tomorrow's game after an intensive preparation period, including a training camp in Türkiye, where the coaching staff worked on improving the players' physical and technical readiness and testing tactical options ahead of the official matches.
Qatar will also face Japan away on August 30 in the second game of the fourth window of the Asian qualifiers. The team will then host South Korea on November 26 and Japan on November 29 in Doha, before concluding the second round against China on February 26 next year and South Korea on March 1.
Alongside its World Cup qualifying campaign, Qatar will compete at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games in Japan. The team has been drawn in Group B alongside Iran, Jordan and Chinese Taipei.
Qatar will open its Asian Games campaign against Iran on September 10, followed by Jordan on September 12, before concluding the group stage against Chinese Taipei on September 13. (QNA)