Qatar sign new coach as busy schedule beckons Al Annabi

Qatar Basketball Federation (QBF) on Tuesday unveiled Athanasios Skourtopoulos of Greece as the new coach who will groom the national side until the 2027 FIBA World Cup to be held in Doha.
The new coach was presented in front of the media at the QBF headquarters on Tuesday in Al Gharrafa where the vastly experienced coach also met with the national team players.
Coach Skourtopoulos said he was ready for the ‘exciting challenge’ as he commences his new assignment.
“I came here just five days ago. I am very happy to be here. I have met the national team players and I have got a good vibe after meeting with them. I have also met with the junior players. The Qatar Basketball Federation officials have welcomed me with open arms. I am delighted to be the new coach of the Qatar national team,” Skourtopoulos said at his first media briefing on Tuesday.
“It didn’t take me too long to make the decision. I have been following QBF league action. I know the players who appear in the league. I had a lot of information before coming here,” he said.
“I know how to build a good team. We will have to go step-by-step and have the help of everybody at the federation and the players. When this happens, success will follow. The players have told me their situation and what they want to achieve. It has not come as a surprise that everybody involved with basketball wants to do well collectively. So, yes, it was easy to decide to be here,” he added.
“We say welcome to our new coach Athanasios Skourtopoulos. We are excited to team up with him as we begin our exciting journey to FIBA World Cup 2027 to be held in Doha. We have many key tournaments that we are looking at in this four-year journey that we have ahead of us,” QBF secretary-general Saadoun Sabah al-Kuwari said on Tuesday. He was joined by Yaseen Ismail Musa, Director of National Teams. “We start with two friendly tournaments in the next month or so and that will be followed by the Asian Games in Guangzhou in China. Then there is the FIBA Asian Championship in 2025 followed by the 2026 Asian Games. In between we will also have many tournaments in the region and the continent that we aspire to do well when we take part in those championships,” al-Kuwari added.
Skourtopoulos said on Tuesday: “I have told the players that this is a important journey in this country. With the FIBA World Cup coming here in four years, there will be huge opportunities for the players - senior and junior - to raise their game. It is a very exciting time for Qatar basketball.”
He added: “There is a lot of work to do. I know that in recent years the national team’s performance dipped a little after a very productive phase earlier on. But I know there are many exciting young players who will need good grooming for bigger assignments.”
Skourtopoulos said Qatar’s first assignment starts in Taiwan where they will take part in the Jones Cup (organised by the Chinese Taipei Basketball Association).
This year’s event will be held from Aug 12-20 with the participation of nine teams. After this, the Qatar side will feature at the Atlas Basketball Challenge in China before they arrive in Guangzhou for the 2022 Asian Games in late September.
Ismail Musa, the Director of National Teams, on Tuesday said: “The decision of QBF president Mohamed bin Saad al-Mughisib in getting a new coach for the Qatar national team is a good move. Athanasios Skourtopoulos is a coach with a lot of experience. The Qatar players stand to gain a lot under his coaching. He is considered one of the finest basketball coaches. Our target is to have a good bench strength at the junior level that can be of great assistance to build a solid senior side in the future. The federation’s plan is to form a competitive team for many years to come.”
New fitness coach Nataniel David Lucas was also presented at the press conference on Tuesday.