Qatar beat Iran in men’s basketball as Asian Games begin in Japan

The continental games will officially open on September 19, but several team competitions will get under way earlier.Published On 10 Sep 202610 Sep 2026The Asian Games have begun in Japan with Qatar beating Iran in men’s basketball, the first action in the continental multisport showpiece that has more participants than the Olympics.Qatar held off a comeback from Iran to win their Group B encounter 59-35 at the Aichi International Arena in Nagoya on Thursday.It was the first match of a men’s basketball competition that will have medal finals on September 20, the day after the opening ceremony.“We know we need to win at least one game so we can qualify for the next round,” said Qatar’s Michael Lewis, the United States-born player who scored a game-high 21 points.“Feels good to get some team camaraderie back, and now we have got to keep going.”Later in Group B, Taiwan beat Jordan 83-80.The Qatar vs Iran men’s basketball match was the first one of the Asian Games 2026 [AFP]More than 17,000 athletes and officials are expected to take part in 43 sports at the Nagoya-Aichi Games, which do not officially start until the opening ceremony on September 19 and will run until October 4.Several...