Qatar unveils countdown clock for 2027 Basketball World Cup

The clock is ticking with now less than 300 days to go until the Basketball World Cup here in Qatar. It's the first time the tournament has ever been held in the Middle East and the first time it's been in just one city. All of the games are going to be held across four venues including one of the 2022 Football World Cup stadiums, Al Janoub, which has been specially redesigned as a basketball arena. I view my number one challenge as growing basketball. That's why you come to new territories and expose more people. Now as we get closer to this World Cup, we're seeing more and more of the official mascot, who's a star called Suhail, named after the Suhail star in the Arabic night sky, set to be visible during the whole tournament next year. But he won't be the only star on show. Some of the NBA's biggest names, including Victor Wembañama, Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo, will all be hoping that their teams can not only qualify, but go on to win the trophy as well. Now, with 92 games overall and 32 teams, this is the biggest international tournament in basketball. But it's fair to say that when it comes to prestige, the Olympics is still the ultimate prize if you ask most players. Qatar itself wants to host the Olympics one day. It's one of seven countries so far to have expressed an interest in hosting the Games in 2036 after years of establishing itself as a global sporting hub. Qatar is known by hosting mega sport events so having 2022 and the successful story behind it and even starting with 2006 by the Asian Games which had put in Qatar. in the center of the heart of hosting a mega sport event. So the official clock has been unveiled and the countdown is well underway. Qualifying is set to wrap up in March next year, ahead of the main draw in April. And then it's time for the main event. The FIBA Basketball World Cup in Qatar starts on August the 27th.