Doha: The second edition of the Girls' and Women's Basketball Leagues for the 2024-2025 sports season concluded amidst an impressive competitive atmosphere and a distinguished public presence.

The tournament saw widespread participation and a remarkable improvement in the teams' level and technical performance, reflecting the success of the Qatar Basketball Federation's strategy to support and develop the women's game.

The final day's games were extremely exciting and witnessed the attendance of a number of prominent sports figures, led by Mohammed bin Saad Al-Mughesib, President of the Qatar Basketball Federation; Abdullah Sultan Al-Jaber, Member of the Federation's Board of Directors; Amal Mohammed Al-Kaldi, Member of the Women's Committee; Essam Lotfi, Technical Secretary of Competitions; and Dr. Khalid Al-Qahtani, Member of the Media Committee.

The tournament also featured a host of members of the Qatari basketball family, coaches, and participating academies, reflecting the significant support for women's sports in Qatar.

The final day of the tournament saw the crowning of the winning teams in the three categories: Under 15, Under 18, and Women. The participating teams competed for the title until the final moments in exciting and competitive matches.

Hoops Academy Wins Under 15 Title

In the Under 15 category, Hoops Academy won the championship title after an exciting final game, defeating Al Gharafa Club by just one point, 57-56, in a match that was closely fought and evenly contested until the final seconds.

With this victory, Hoops Academy won the championship trophy and gold medals, while Al Gharafa Club finished second and received the silver medals, and FAME Academy came in third and won the bronze medals.

Al Gharafa Clinches Under-18 Title

In the Under-18 category, the game was no less exciting, as Al Gharafa Club clinched the title after defeating Hoops Academy 60-59, in a breathtaking encounter that held its breath until the final moment.

With this victory, Al Gharafa Club added the championship trophy and gold medals to its tally, while Hoops Academy took second place, and Fame Academy took third place and the bronze medals.

Al Gharafa Women Win the Title

In the finale, Al Gharafa Women's Club asserted their dominance over the women's championship title after a fiercely contested match against Hoops Academy, which also ended by just one point, with a score of 73-72. This game reflected the high technical level of both teams.

Al Gharafa won the championship title and the gold medals, while Hoops Academy finished second and won the silver medals. Third place went to Qatar University, which won the bronze medal.

Honouring the Talented and the Best
The coronation ceremony was attended by Mohammed bin Saad Al-Mughaseeb, QBF President, and Abdullah Sultan Al-Jaber, a member of the Federation's Board of Directors.

They honored a number of outstanding players across various categories, in recognition of their contributions and remarkable brilliance during the tournament. This comes as part of the Federation"ssupport for promising players and its encouragement of outstanding individual performance.

In the Best Young Player category, three stars from different teams emerged, with the award going to Nazih Agha, a player from Fame Academy; Huda Ahdab from Hoops Academy; and Judy Ahmed Jaballah, a player from Al-Gharafa Club.

As for the top scorers, Al-Gharafa Club dominated the awards, with Chloe Abumrad shining in the Under-15 category, while Maya Al-Khatib won the award for the top scorer in the Under-18 category. In the women's category, Al-Gharafa players continued to shine, with Mona Suleiman winning the award for the top scorer.

For his part, Mohammed bin Saad Al-Mughaseeb, stated: "The conclusion of the second edition of the Girls' and Women's Basketball League confirms beyond any doubt that women's basketball in Qatar is on a bright future. We witnessed high technical levels and professional organization, reflecting the Federation's commitment to raising the quality of local competitions across all categories."

He added: "At the Federation, we are committed to making women's sports a fundamental pillar of our development strategy. We will work to expand the base of participation and enhance the presence of players of all ages by supporting clubs and academies and providing appropriate competitive spaces to hone talent."
I would also like to thank everyone who contributed to the success of this tournament, from the technical, organizational, and refereeing committees, to all the teams that participated in organizing the second edition.

Abdullah Sultan Al-Jaber, emphasized: "The tournament was a model of what women's sports should be: fair competition, advanced performance, and top-level organization. We witnessed great commitment from the players and technical staff, which reflects a growing awareness of the importance of women's sports in Qatar and its pivotal role in developing the sports community."

He said, "We, on the Federation's Board of Directors, consider the Girls' and Women's Leagues a strategic project, and we are working to develop them season after season."

Saleh Al-Rubaie, Head of the Basketball Department at Al-Gharafa Club, expressed his deep pride in our teams' winning the Girls' and Women's Leagues, an achievement that reflects the systematic and continuous work we are undertaking to support our women's teams, from age groups to the women's team.

The Head of the Basketball Department at Al-Gharafa Club also extended his sincere thanks and appreciation to the Qatar Basketball Federation for the professional organization and high-level performance of the tournament, which provided a fair and safe competitive environment that helped highlight the true potential of the players