Doha: Qatar’s reserve basketball team will face Philippines in a challenging fourth round clash at the 44th William Jones Cup, currently underway in Chinese Taipei.
The Qatari side heads into the match after a narrow 77-82 defeat to Australia, despite delivering a strong performance.
Qatar led at the end of the first quarter (21-19), trailed in the second (15-19), drew level in the third (19-19), but Australia edged the final quarter (25-22) to secure a five-point victory. Following this result, Qatar now have four points in the standings from one win, against the UAE, and two losses to Japan and Australia.
The team is eager to return to winning ways against the Philippines, one of the tournament's strongest contenders. Qatar are participating in the William Jones Cup as part of its preparations for the 36th Arab Basketball Championship, which will be held in Bahrain from July 25 to August 2.
It is worth noting that the Qatar Basketball Federation is fielding the 'reserve' team in this tournament as part of its strategic development plan to strengthen the national program ahead of continental competitions.
