The Qatar men’s national basketball team returned to Doha following their game against Japan in the fourth window of the second stage of the FIBA Asia Qualifiers for the 2027 Basketball World Cup. The match took place at Toyota Arena in Tokyo, where Japan secured a dominant 123–70 victory over Qatar on Tuesday.

Japan asserted control early, opening the game with a strong offensive rhythm and closing the first quarter with a 29–11 lead. Qatar responded with a more cohesive performance in the second quarter, matching Japan’s pace and limiting the deficit to a narrow 24–23 margin. However, Japan regained momentum in the third quarter, outscoring Qatar 40–11 and extending their lead substantially. Despite Qatar’s attempts to finish the game strongly, Japan maintained offensive pressure in the final quarter, winning it 30–25.

Individually, Japan’s Rui Hachimura stood out with 30 points, along with four blocks, three steals, and an efficiency rating of 40. On the Qatari side, Abdullah Musa was the leading scorer with 14 points, while Mohamed Hashem pulled down eight rebounds, matching Japan’s Joshua Hawkinson’s total. Yuki Kawamura led assists for Japan with nine, compared to four from Qatar’s Abdulrahman Yahya.

Following the result, Japan increased their group tally to 14 points, while Qatar remained at 12 points in Group F. The group also features China, Lebanon, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia, all competing closely for qualification positions. Although Qatar is automatically qualified for the 2027 World Cup as the host nation, their participation in the qualifiers serves to gain valuable experience and prepare the team by competing against top basketball teams in Asia. Notably, Qatar’s results do not impact the final standings of the group.

The Qatari team’s involvement in the qualifiers is viewed as a critical part of their development and readiness for the upcoming global event on home soil.