The Qatar Basketball Federation also contemplates reducing the number of foreign players in clubs from three to two.

Uncertainty had been the defining characteristic of the 2019-20 domestic calendar, due to the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, but things look a lot more promising when it comes to the next season.

The Qatar Basketball Federation (QBF) announced that the 2020-21 season will kick o with the league competition on December 5.

“After lengthy discussions with our nine clubs, we have decided to launch the new season soon after Qatar’s 2021 FIBA Asia Qualifiers against Syria (November 27) and Saudi Arabia (November 30) at home,” QBF General Secretary Ali Saeed Al Malki told Inside Qatar.

“The two round-robin phases will begin on December 5 and January 9, 2021, respectively. The playoffs will be held from February 24 to March 12. However, these dates are subject to change based on decisions of the Qatar Olympic Committee and the Ministry of Public Health,” he added.

As per the calendar, the Qatar Cup will run from March 16 to April 6. The nine teams, divided into two groups based on their final standings in the league, will play a single round-robin event before a knock-out second round in the Qatar Cup while the Emir’s Cup will follow a similar format from April 10 to May 3.

Meanwhile, the QBF is contemplating a reduction in the number of professional players in clubs from three to two. However, Al Malki said a final decision was yet to be made.

“While the idea is to give more playing time for Qatari players in the first team, some of the smaller clubs will be unable to full the requirements. We’re still discussing the finer points and will take a final decision soon,” said the former player.

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