In this episode, we discover Qatar’s bouncing basketball scene and find out how the country is going for glory with its youth team, the professional league, and even on the international stage.
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00:00 [Basketball sounds]
00:03 The FIFA handed over the FIBA, as we say, so all eyes are on basketball.
00:07 We're going to do a lot of tournaments.
00:09 For the whole Middle East, it's good to see that Arab countries are hosting such big competitions.
00:13 And I'm very proud because I'm an Arab as well.
00:16 It's going to be very exciting, very exciting for the future and the next four years.
00:20 I'm never satisfied, but I feel I can do better.
00:23 I'm just going to not let that get to my head. I'm going to keep working.
00:27 [Basketball sounds]
00:31 Hello and welcome to Qatar 365.
00:34 I'm Laila Humaira and on this episode, we're looking at Qatar's basketball scene
00:39 and how the country is going for glory with its youth team, the professional league,
00:45 and even on the international stage.
00:47 Supporting and molding young talent is one of the ways the Qatar Basketball Federation
00:53 is hoping to shape future champions.
00:56 And what better way to start them young than an international competition.
01:01 I got the chance to meet some of the young hopefuls working hard for a chance to represent their country
01:07 at the FIBA Basketball World Cup in 2027.
01:11 [Music]
01:14 Captain Mohamed Massamba Ndow leads his team in their warm-ups.
01:18 For most of these boys, this is their first time in a major competition.
01:24 But Mohamed is back at the FIBA Under-16 Asian Championships for the second consecutive time.
01:30 He knows the pressure, the intensity, and what to expect.
01:35 [Music]
01:37 That competitive edge is what coach Stavros Mikoniatis hopes to build in his young team.
01:43 The guys are young guys. First time that they play on this level, this competition of this level.
01:49 Just as a program that we run in Federation in order to develop and to...
01:56 for the next generation, for the first team, and also for the under-18.
02:01 So for us it's very good chance for the guys to take this experience for the future.
02:07 [Music]
02:09 15-year-old point guard Abdullah Yassin Moussa is also featuring in the competition for the second time.
02:15 The spotlight is on Abdullah and Mohamed, both of whom have been named Qatar's next basketball superstars.
02:22 There's no shortage of talent in the Qatari youth team.
02:26 The players are 16 years old or younger, but many are already shooting boots alongside the pros in the Qatar Basketball League.
02:34 And beyond this campaign, many are looking to add valuable international experience to their already decorated young careers.
02:42 [Music]
02:43 Part of that experience is learning to swallow the bitter pill of losing.
02:48 Playing against some of Asia's best teams like Iran and Australia, there's bound to be wins and losses.
02:55 And coach Stavros and his team make sure the boys understand that it's all part of the game.
03:01 This is our job. We try to, you know, to change the feeling.
03:05 Because the basketball and the game has a lot of the feelings that change like the ball possessions.
03:10 We try to find something that will make them play better, to play harder.
03:15 Off the court, Mohamed also leads by example. Win or lose, he stays motivated to improve his game.
03:23 I'm never satisfied. I feel I can do better. I'm just going to not let that get to my head. I'm going to keep working.
03:31 The hope is that all the hard work will culminate on the global stage in 2027,
03:37 when Qatar hosts the FIBA Basketball World Cup.
03:40 By that time, Mohamed and Abdullah will be at their peak, in prime form to represent Qatar again at home soil.
03:48 Be the best, you know. Just be the best. Always go 100 percent.
03:52 Working every chance I get. I'm working hard every chance I get.
03:55 You know, this is the biggest competition in the world, so I'm just working so hard for that.
04:00 [Music]
04:04 Well, to find out what it's like to sport Qatar's flag on one's chest since young,
04:08 who better to ask than a man who has walked that path himself?
04:12 I met Mohamed Hassan, or better known as Nizzo, shooting guard at the Al-Shamal Sports Club
04:18 to get his insights on what it takes to reach the highest level of professional basketball
04:23 and prospect for the sport in Qatar.
04:26 [Music]
04:36 Firstly, Nizzo, thank you so much for being with us today.
04:39 Can you tell us, how did your journey with basketball first start?
04:44 Ever since I was four, my father was a basketball coach and a former basketball player.
04:49 He's the one who taught me the game and corrected me the way I am playing the game.
04:54 So, that's where I started playing basketball.
04:57 In your early days, who was your role model? Who did you look up to to perfect your game?
05:02 Kobe Bryant. Kobe Bryant was my Michael Jordan of my era.
05:06 You know, I'm born in 1991 and going and watching Kobe Bryant going against Allen Iverson was the thing to do at that time.
05:13 And can you share some of the highlights of your career?
05:16 I started playing for the national team at a very young age, at the age of 15.
05:20 I was happy to represent Qatar's national team in FIBA Asia.
05:24 I would start with the first free throws against the Philippines national team in 2010.
05:29 Finishing third in Asia against Japan, scoring the buzzer beater in 2012.
05:34 And in 2019, playing against Australia's national team.
05:37 That was a dream to me as a child and seeing that happening was an amazing feeling.
05:43 Now, you debuted in Qatar's national team as a young player.
05:47 How important is it to support youngsters to shape them for the future of Qatar's basketball team?
05:53 I consider myself to be the middle child of Qatar basketball because I started as the youngest on the team, the rookie, at 15 years old.
06:01 Then, I did play with the guys who went to the World Cup.
06:04 Then, I became the national team captain as I became the older guy on the team, you know.
06:10 So, I'm always trying to support the young players because I understand how important it is to have support from the veterans and the older players.
06:20 Now, everyone in Qatar is looking ahead to 2027, to the FIBA Basketball World Cup.
06:25 How do you foresee the sport growing, not just by 2027, but beyond as well?
06:30 I see that Qatar is investing a lot in sports and a lot in athletes from many different games and fields.
06:37 So, I'm happy to see my other fellow friends and athletes doing the things, doing the sports that they love and especially basketball.
06:45 The sports has changed a lot and developed a lot in Qatar.
06:49 And finally, for the youngsters right now who are preparing for the 2027 World Cup, training themselves to try and get a spot in that national team, what kind of advice do you have to say for them?
07:02 Keep grinding, keep working hard, keep practicing hard, take care of yourselves.
07:06 Hopefully, you'll be able to make it on the national team and represent Qatar in the World Cup.
07:10 And I wish all the best for every single person who will put on the jersey.
07:14 While the Basketball World Cup is still a few years from coming to Qatar, the country is no stranger to hosting international hoops.
07:26 Eight teams from seven countries tipped off the Doha International Basketball Championships.
07:31 Then soon after the final buzzer sounded on that, 14 countries were represented at the Arab Club Basketball Championship.
07:39 We sent Adel Halim to check out the action.
07:42 Basketball is life for Omar Al Zayani. The 20-year-old can usually be found dribbling a ball.
07:50 Just like everyone else in Qatar, I was captivated by football growing up.
07:54 But then I switched to basketball at the age of 12 and I saw something that captivated me personally.
08:00 He plays point guard for Qatar's Al Ahly, one of 18 teams participating in the Arab Club Basketball Championship,
08:07 hosted in Qatar for the first time.
08:09 The fact that you bring together teams from all over the world and they get to interact with each other on and off the court,
08:16 you never know this might form like friendships. You know, you show sportsmanship, you show respect to each other,
08:22 which I think has great, great value, has immense value in my opinion.
08:27 The tournament's head of media shares that opinion, that bridge building is just as important as the final score.
08:33 The bigger picture, sports unite us. So, either it is football, basketball, handball, volleyball, whatever sport.
08:39 Sport is sport and unites people. Different culture, different religion, different languages.
08:44 But they all speak the same language. It's either basketball, football, sports at the end of the day.
08:55 While the Arab Club Basketball Championship is an annual tradition in its 35th year,
09:00 this is just the second edition of the Doha International Basketball Championship.
09:04 This tourney similarly features clubs from across the Middle East and North Africa,
09:08 but for the very first time also featured the Moralco Bolts of the Philippine Basketball Association.
09:14 And despite being more than 7,000 kilometers away from Manila, it felt like a home game for the Filipino club.
09:22 Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, there's a lot of Filipinos here. So, yeah, every time we're here,
09:26 we got a whole bunch of crowds and it feels great to come out here and play in front of them.
09:29 For Cliff Hodge, bringing different cultures together on a basketball court is a big part of why he loves the sport.
09:36 Man, it's crazy. Like basketball, if you really think about it, basketball is a language that everyone speaks.
09:40 So, it's good to see like camaraderie and then, you know, everyone's battling on the court.
09:44 We are staying in the same hotel. So, we see each other off the court, we're like, "Hey, man, good game."
09:48 You know, so it's good. It's like a brotherhood. Guys talking on the court, all love off the court.
09:52 That's music to the ears of the tournament organizer.
09:56 To get more expertise from all the regions, okay, to combine them in Doha,
09:59 Filipinos especially, you know, the love of the game for this country.
10:04 And also the same in Lebanon. In Lebanon, you know, like basketball is the first game.
10:08 In other countries, like football starts, then you go. In Lebanon, it's the first game.
10:12 We're trying also to apply this mentality here and hopefully we will succeed.
10:16 You could call it the Mamba mentality made famous by the late Kobe Bryant.
10:21 Lebanon's Sergio Al Darwish says the basketball icon featured prominently in his childhood home.
10:27 We grew up in a competitive household and my dad was a big, big, big Lakers fan.
10:31 So, all we did was watch the Lakers growing up, watch Kobe and that's what I fell in love with.
10:37 The Beirut club's star guard says Qatar being named the host of the 2027 Basketball World Cup
10:43 is a slam dunk for the entire region.
10:46 For the whole Middle East, it's good to see that Arab countries are hosting such big competitions
10:50 and I'm very proud because I'm an Arab as well. It's going to be very exciting, very exciting for the future
10:55 and the next four years, the growth of basketball in this region is going to be so, so good
10:59 and hopefully it will get better over the years.
11:01 FIFA handed over the FIBA, as we say, so all eyes now on basketball.
11:06 We're going to do a lot of tournaments, a lot of events related to basketball,
11:09 full support from the Federation and the Olympic Committee regarding that.
11:12 Back in the locker room, the 2027 World Cup can't come soon enough for Omar Al Zayani.
11:18 Can't put it into words. I'm going to get to see the greatest players play right in front of my eyes
11:23 on my hometown. Can't ask for better.
11:26 It's been fun showing you how all the different levels of basketball are excelling here in Qatar,
11:34 leading the sport to international glory.
11:37 And while that brings us to the end of this episode, the hype is just getting started
11:42 as the countdown to the FIBA Basketball World Cup right here in Qatar has officially begun.
11:48 For more, check out euronews.com and connect with us through our hashtag.
11:52 Thanks for watching and we'll see you next time on Qatar 365.
11:56 Bye.
11:56 (upbeat music)