(MENAFN- Gulf Times) As part of the second phase of the national basketball team's preparatory program, the Qatar Basketball Federation (QBF) has announced a friendly game between the Qatari national team and its Indian counterpart. The match is scheduled for 7:00 PM on Friday, July 11, 2025, at the Federation Hall located at Al Gharafa Club.
This friendly game serves as a component of the Qatari national team's preparations for the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup Finals, which will take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from August 5 to 17, featuring 16 participating teams.
The draw has placed the Qatari national team in Group A, alongside Australia, South Korea, and Lebanon. Group B consists of Guam, Japan, Syria, and Iran. Group C includes China, Jordan, India, and Saudi Arabia, while Group D comprises Chinese Taipei, New Zealand, Iraq, and the Philippines.
The Qatari national team is set to commence their campaign on August 6th against Lebanon. The tournament format has been established based on a group system, where the leading teams in each group will qualify directly for the quarterfinals, while the second and third-place teams in each group will engage in knockout matches using a cross-match system to identify the remaining teams.
The Qatari national team is currently undertaking their internal training camp in Doha, supervised by the technical staff led by Turkish coach Hakan Demir, with the involvement of all newly joined players, as part of efforts to improve both technical and physical readiness.
The Indian national team arrived in Doha on Thursday morning, July 10th, where it was welcomed by several representatives of the QBF.
The visiting team is conducting its daily training sessions at the Federation's gym in Al Gharafa, in conjunction with the training sessions of the Qatari national team, which are also held in the same facility. This arrangement reflects the high level of cooperation and organization that the Federation is committed to providing, ensuring an optimal training environment for both teams.
This friendly game will offer the technical staff of the Qatari national team a chance to experiment with various tactical strategies and assess the players' performance in a competitive setting akin to continental games. Additionally, it will foster team unity, particularly after the successful completion of the initial phase of preparations in Turkey last month.
A second friendly game between the two teams is set for 7:00 PM on Sunday, July 13, at the Indoor Hall in Al Gharafa. This match will mark the conclusion of this segment of the internal camp, prior to moving on to the third phase in South Korea from July 16 to 21. This phase will include several friendly matches against notable Asian teams, as part of the final preparations for the Asian Cup.
The Qatar Basketball Federation will also organize friendly matches from July 28 to August 1, featuring the national teams of Qatar, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Japan.
The competitions will take place at the Lusail Multipurpose Hall. The Qatar Basketball Federation encourages basketball enthusiasts in Qatar to attend and support the friendly matches, emphasizing that fan engagement is a crucial motivational factor for the players and helps cultivate a strong sense of community and national pride during this vital preparatory period.

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