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)
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