ACQ Doha window canceled

Another waiting game ensues for Gilas Men. FIBA (file photo)

By Ivan Saldajeno

MANILA—The Doha bubble of the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers is not anymore pushing through according to the Saudi Arabian Basketball Federation.

The SBF confirmed on Friday that the rising COVID-19 cases in the Qatari capital forced the Qatar Basketball Federation to call off its supposed ACQ bubble hosting.

"The Asian Executive Office issued a decision to cancel Window 3 of the [FIBA Asia Cup] Qualifiers to be held in the State of Qatar, which includes Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Syria, and Iran, based on the Qatari federation’s apology for hosting the latest developments of the coronavirus, and it will be announced [later]," the SBF said in a statement through Twitter.

The four aforementioned Middle Eastern countries are placed in Group E of the qualifiers even as Doha was supposed to host Group A, which consists of Gilas Pilipinas Men, Indonesia, South Korea, and Thailand.

The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas was forced to let go of the Group A bubble hosting due to the rising cases of the COVID-19 United Kingdom variant.

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