Doha: Qatar national basketball team concluded its training camp in the South Korean capital, Seoul, with its second friendly match against South Korean national team, which ended in a 95-78 loss in Anyang. The match marked the third phase of Qatar's preparation program for the FIBA Asia Cup 2025, scheduled to take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

According to Qatar News Agency, the game saw intense competition across all four quarters. Qatar took an early lead, finishing the first quarter ahead 24-15. However, South Korea regained momentum in the second quarter, winning it 27-12.

In the third quarter, Qatar fought back and briefly regained the lead at 59-58, following a temporary dip in the Korean team's performance. But successive three-pointers from Lee Hyun-jung and Yoo Jun-seok swung the momentum back in South Korea's favor, who won the quarter 27-22.

The hosts dominated the final quarter with consistent perimeter shooting and organized offensive plays, taking the fourth quarter 26-20 and sealing the win with a final score of 95-78.

Qatar previously played its first friendly against South Korea on Friday, which also ended in a win for the hosts (90-71). Head coach Hakan Demir used both matches to test a wide rotation of players as part of the team's development.

This phase followed previous camps in Turkiye and Doha and will be succeeded by a fourth and final phase in Doha, where Qatar will host an international friendly tournament at Lusail Multi-purpose Hall from July 28 to August 1, featuring teams from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Japan alongside the host nation.

Meanwhile, Qatar reserve national team is set to await the draw for the 26th Arab Men's Basketball Championship tomorrow, Monday. The tournament will be held in Bahrain from July 25 to August 2, with participation from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Algeria, Libya, Palestine, and host nation Bahrain. The draw will take place at the Arab Basketball Federation headquarters in Cairo.

Qatar reserve team recently concluded its campaign in the 44th William Jones Cup in Chinese Taipei with 73-52 loss to Malaysia, finishing the tournament with 8 points.

This participation is considered an important preparatory stage ahead of the upcoming Arab Championship, which is expected to be one of the most competitive editions in recent years, given the closely matched skill levels and storied histories of the participating teams.