Hassan has received Qatar’s torch of leadership

CHENZHOU (FIBA Champions Cup 2016) - Qatar are undergoing a changing of the guard so to speak, and at the forefront of this transition stage is wingman Hassan Mohamed. Hassan is part of top Qatari club Al Rayyan, which is playing in the FIBA Asia Champions Cup 2016 in Chenzhou, China.

Al Rayyan started slow in the tournament, losing their first two games, but they rebounded last night with a big win over India’s ONGC. Hassan, in particular, did well in that game, scoring 17 points on the back of 5 three-pointers. He also laced his stat-line with 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals, leading the Qatari outfit in building some momentum heading into today’s match with powerhouse Petrochimi.

Hassan first played for the Qatar national side in 2010, and he also saw action last year in the FIBA Asia Championship 2015, seeing sparse action off the bench. He has, however, become a major cog for the Gulf squad. He was one of their main guns in the FIBA Asia Challenge 2016 earlier this year, putting up 12.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.2 steals and nearly 3 triples per game.

Hassan talked to FIBA.com before today’s big game.

FIBA.com: How do you feel about your win yesterday against ONGC?
Hassan: First of all I want to thank God and my teammates for yesterday’s win. We haven’t had the best preparations coming into this tournament. Some of our main players are not here, and we were also dealt with a blow when our second import didn’t join us.

FIBA.com: What did you do differently today compared to the first two games?
Hassan: We played better today – as a team we defended better and we made our shots. I think that’s one of the main reasons why we snapped the two-game losing streak.

FIBA.com: Many of the veteran Qatari players are not on this team. Does that mean the torch is being passed to your generation now?
Hassan: Yes, the torch has been passed. We had a golden generation that recently retired and paved the way for youngsters to step and carry this team. The problem is that the current players still lack the experience because we’re still young, but surely, with time, we will improve.

FIBA.com: It has been more than 10 years since Al Rayyan won the Champions Cup. How do you feel about your chances of winning it again this year?
Hassan: Our main aim coming to the FIBA Asia Champions Cup is to gain experience. Most of our players are still young and inexperienced, and I believe that this championship will help us learn and improve.

FIBA.com: How do you feel about the future of Qatari basketball in the next few years?
Hassan: I’m not worried at all about the future of basketball in Qatar. This young generation will be the core of the national team in the years to come. Exposure like this and also more minutes in the local league will aid their development, which in turn will benefit the club, the national team and basketball as a sport in Qatar.

FIBA