Doha, May 13 (QNA) - Under the patronage of HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani, President of the Qatar Olympic Committee and Chairman of the Organizing Committee for the FIBA Basketball World Cup Qatar 2027, the official draw ceremony for the World Cup qualifiers was held today in Doha, marking the official launch of Qatar’s journey to host this global event for the first time in the Middle East.

Also in attendance at the draw ceremony were HE President of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Sheikh Saud bin Ali Al-Thani, Mohammed bin Saad Al Mughaiseeb, who serves as President of the Qatar Basketball Federation and Director General of the Organizing Committee for the FIBA Basketball World Cup Qatar 2027, Mr. Andreas Zagklis, Secretary General of FIBA, along with a number of senior officials and guests.

The draw was also attended by FIBA Ambassador Carmelo Anthony, Qatari Olympic champion Mutaz Essa Barshim, Qatari and Gulf basketball legend Yaseen Ismail, and the 3x3 Basketball World Champion, in addition to representatives of the national teams participating in the qualifiers.

The qualifiers for the FIBA Basketball World Cup included the participation of 80 countries from various continents competing for 31 spots in the finals, while the Qatari national team will participate as the host nation.

The 16 national teams participating in the Asia and Oceania qualifiers were divided into 4 groups. Qatar was drawn into Group D along with (Lebanon, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and India), while Group A included (Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, and Guam). Group B included (Japan, China, South Korea, and Chinese Taipei). Group C included (Iran, Jordan, Syria, and Iraq).

The top three teams from each group will advance to the second round, where they will be divided into two groups. The top three teams from each group will qualify for the World Cup, in addition to the team with the highest point total among the fourth-placed teams in each group.

The African qualifiers were also divided into 4 groups. Group A included (Cameroon, South Sudan, Libya, and Cape Verde), while Group B included (Senegal, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, and Cote d’Ivoire). Group C included (Nigeria, Rwanda, Guinea, and Tunisia), and Group D included (Mali, Angola, Uganda, and Egypt).

The top three teams from each group will advance to the second round, where they will be divided into two groups. The first and second place teams from each group will qualify for the World Cup, along with the team with the highest point total among the third-placed teams in each group.

The teams participating in the Americas (North and South) qualifiers were also divided into 4 groups. Group A included (the United States of America, the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and one team advancing from the final stage of the preliminary qualifiers). Group B included (Puerto Rico, Canada, the Bahamas, and one team advancing from the final stage). Group C included (Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, and one team advancing from the final stage). Group D included (Argentina, Uruguay, Panama, and one team advancing from the final stage of the preliminary qualifiers).

The top three teams from each group will advance to the second round, where they will be divided into two groups. The top three teams from each group will qualify for the World Cup, in addition to the team with the highest point total among the fourth-placed teams in each group.

The 32 teams participating in the European qualifiers were divided into 8 groups. Group A includes Georgia, Spain, and two teams that will qualify from the final stage of the preliminary qualifiers. Group B includes Greece, Montenegro, Portugal, and one teams that will qualify from the final stage. Group C includes Serbia, Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and another team from the final stage of the preliminary qualifiers. Group D consists of the UK, Italy, Iceland, and Lithuania. Group E includes Germany, Cyprus, and one team advancing from the final preliminary stage. Group F features Latvia, Poland, and two qualifying teams. Group G includes France, Belgium, Finland, and one more qualifier. Finally, Group H includes Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Sweden, and Estonia.

The top three teams from each group will advance to the second round, where they will be divided into four new groups. The top three teams from each of those groups will qualify for the FIBA Basketball World Cup.

The qualifiers will take place over 15 months, beginning in November 2025 and ending in March 2027. Matches will be played in a home-and-away format, while Africa will follow a centralized tournament system. There will be a total of 6 windows of qualifiers, with each window lasting nine days, during which each team will play two games. FIBA has set the qualification window dates as follows: November 24 - December 2, 2025; February 23 - March 3, 2026; June 29 - July 7, 2026; August 24 - September 1, 2026; November 23 - December 1, 2026; and February 22 - March 2, 2027.

A total of 32 teams from Europe, 16 from Africa, 16 from Asia and Oceania, and 16 from the Americas are competing in the qualifiers.

Europe holds the largest share of spots in the World Cup finals, with 12 teams qualifying, compared to 7 from the Americas, 5 from Africa, and 7 from Asia and Oceania, in addition to the host nation, Qatar.

It is worth noting that the FIBA Basketball World Cup Qatar 2027 will take place from Aug. 27 to Sep. 12, 2027. This will be the first time the tournament is held in the Middle East. Fans from around the world will have the chance to enjoy the unique atmosphere of a World Cup hosted entirely in a single city, where they can attend multiple matches in a single day.

The tournament will feature 32 national teams, with games played across four main arenas. The final match will take place at Lusail Arena. Qatar will be making its second appearance in the World Cup, following its debut in the 2006 edition held in Japan.

FIBA officially announced Qatar as the host of the 2027 Basketball World Cup during a meeting held on Apr. 28, 2023, in Manila, the capital of the Philippines.

Qatar officially received the symbolic Basketball World Cup 2027 ball during a special ceremony held on the sidelines of the 2023 Basketball World Cup closing event in Manila on Sep. 10, 2023. (QNA)