Bahrain top Gulf U-18 qualifiers in Doha, Qatar secure silver

Doha, Qatar: Bahrain completed a perfect campaign with four consecutive victories to emerge champions of the Gulf U-18 qualifiers in Doha, while Qatar came second in the five-team competition.

Both Qatar and Bahrain earned qualification for the FIBA U-18 Asia Cup which will be held in Ahmedabad, India, from August 13 to 23. argolida.life

Bahrain topped the standings with eight points, Qatar finished with seven, Saudi Arabia claimed third place with six points after defeating Oman 99-74, while Oman ended fourth with five points and Kuwait finished fifth with four.

Qatar concluded the tournament with a 77-45 defeat to Bahrain in the final round yesterday at Al Gharafa Sports Hall.

Bahrain took control from the opening quarter, leading 20-14 before extending the advantage with a dominant 25-9 second quarter.

The champions also won the third period 17-14 before completing the victory with a 15-8 fourth quarter.

Qatar Basketball Federation President Mohammed bin Saad Al Mughaisib and officials pose for a photo with Team Qatar players.

Despite the defeat, Qatar had already achieved its primary objective by booking a place at the continental Championship with one match to spare.

The hosts opened their campaign with an 80-76 victory over Saudi Arabia before defeating Kuwait 81-53 and Oman 80-67.

Following the final, Qatar Basketball Federation President Mohammed bin Saad Al Mughaisib presented Bahrain with the championship trophy and gold medals, while QBF Secretary-General and National Teams Director Saadoun Sabah Al Kuwari awarded the silver medals to the Qatar players.

Al Mughaisib praised the team’s achievement, saying qualification for the Asian Championship had been the federation’s main objective.

“The team fulfilled its mission by reaching the Asian finals, which was our main target before the qualifiers. We will now focus on preparing the squad optimally for the continental competition to ensure they represent Qatari basketball at the highest level,” he said.

He also congratulated the players, coaching staff and administrators for their commitment and performances throughout the tournament.

The Asia Cup also serves as a qualifier for the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup Czech Republic 2027, with four places available.

The successful staging of the Gulf qualifiers also highlighted Qatar’s continued commitment to hosting major basketball events as the country prepares for the FIBA Basketball World Cup Qatar 2027, which will be held from August 27 to September 12, 2027, marking the first time the tournament will be staged in the Middle East and North Africa.

Doha: Qatar Football Association (QFA) President and Minister of Sport and Youth H E Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Thani has welcomed FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s decision not to proceed with the FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal, describing it as a step taken in the best interest of the international football community.

In a statement, Sheikh Hamad said that while the proposal contained ideas worthy of consideration, the decision to prioritise the unity of all FIFA member associations reflected sound judgment at an important time for world football.

“The QFA commends the prioritisation of maintaining the unity of all member national associations at this time and the wisdom behind this decision,” he said.
Sheikh Hamad also reaffirmed the QFA’s full support for President Infantino’s continued efforts to develop and promote football across the world.

Nyon: The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has welcomed FIFA's decision to withdraw its plan to sell a stake in its competitions -including the World Cup- into private hands.

"The proposal was unanimously rejected by UEFA's national associations and by many other federations and confederations of all sizes around the world, whose job it is to protect football," UEFA said in a statement today.

"UEFA will begin work immediately with partners and stakeholders all over the world and right across the game to propose a new way of distributing resources through the existing FIFA Forward programme," the statement said.

UEFA's stance followed FIFA's decision to abandon the project, after similar criticism from the Asian Football Confederation, while other federations expressed reservations about the proposal.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced in a statement on Saturday that the organization was backing down from its plan to open the world's governing body of football to private sector investors, following a wave of criticism and concerns about commodifying football, amid questions about potential conflicts of interest.

Infantino said: "After carefully listening to all points of view, it became clear that the project had created divisions that no longer served the fundamental purpose for which it was launched."

Infantino's reversal comes at a time when FIFA is facing additional pressure following the recent resignation of its chief advisor, Carlos Cordeiro.

Last Tuesday, FIFA had unexpectedly unveiled a plan to increase funding for football development to USD 10 billion over the next four years, but the plan was met with widespread criticism regarding its content and the way it was presented.