FIBA Asia + FIBA Oceania = FIBA Asia-Pacific?

[Alex072]

Yao Ming's Aussie showdown
By Tim Morrissey
October 19, 2008 12:00am
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,24517485-5001023,00.html

IT'S the dream match-up that just might save basketball in this country.

Imagine Australia's Andrew Bogut against China's Yao Ming in the final of the Asia-Pacific championship qualifying series for the 2012 London Olympics.

The chances of that happening are growing, with basketball's international governing body FIBA strongly pushing for a merger between the Asia and Oceania zones.

In April, FIBA tabled a discussion paper on the benefits of merging the Asia and Oceania qualification zones at both senior and junior level.

FIBA's Australian-born president Bob Elphinston believes if basketball in Australia is to fulfil its potential, the Boomers and Opals have no option but to give up direct qualification for the Olympics and world championships through the Oceania zone, which is made up of 21 Pacific Island nations with a total population of 34 million.

"The reason for that discussion paper is that Australia and New Zealand clearly need more competition,'' Elphinston said.

"Secondly, Australia and New Zealand need greater opportunities for television exposure and income, and one is linked to the other.

"Asia, at the same time, would benefit very much from having the high-quality competition that Australia and New Zealand would offer.''

The Socceroos' successful move out of Oceania to FIFA's Asian qualifying zone has football booming in Australia and has provided the blueprint for basketball's future.

Australia might be the No2-ranked nation in the world for basketball - the powerhouse Opals have won silver and gold at the last Olympics and world championships respectively, and the Boomers are a top-10 team - but neither side gets any meaningful television coverage at home or corporate backing by belonging to Oceania.

That could change almost overnight if the Boomers and Opals get the opportunity to take on China, with its population of 1.3 billion.

Regular and meaningful international competition against China, the heavyweight of the 44-nation Asia zone - as well as Japan, Korea and the Kiwis - would give Australia access to new commercial opportunities.

Boomers coach Brian Goorjian supports the idea of joining Asia as a key part of the reform that basketball in Australia is undertaking, but he remains wary of the potential threat China presents.

"It all makes wonderful sense if we qualify for the worlds and the Olympics,'' Goorjian said.
Basketball Australia chief executive Scott Derwin says he doesn't yet have a position on joining Asia.

"We're not saying we are opposed to it, we just need a lot more information,'' he said.
However, Elphinston, who is waiting to hear back from Basketball Australia, is hopeful common sense will prevail.

"People need to look to the future,'' Elphinston said.

I don't know if this is good news for RP

 

[LordOfLeyte2]

I don't know if this is good news for RP

Good news or bad news, all the more makes it interesting. Maybe someday we'll see Bogut being guarded by Greg Slaughter while Patrick Mills being guarded by Norwood.

 

[mayfel2]

but i think if the fiba decides to merge the oceania and asia it will be good for the basketball itself because the level of competitiveness will increase dramatically..also on the proposal of fiba is to add 1 more slot to the asia and oceania..if the proposals are approved the merged asia and oceania will have 3 slots to offer to the olympics and in the world championship it will be 5 slots..all we need to do is to toughen up our nt to have a chance in getting back to the olympics..the bad news howeverit will happened on fiba asia 2011 and i think our soon to be nt is not yet redy to face the likes of australia and china

 

[dinesh2]

first of all FIBA ASIA need to manage it's zones. For example...there is no tournaments in the east zone.

About australia joining the FIBA ASIA, it is good idea as the competition get tough for the Asian countries.

 

[jahrakal2]

4 more slots

4 more slots

i heard that 4 more slots will be added in the london olympics

 

[mayfel2]

i heard that 4 more slots will be added in the london olympics

and the four more slots will be distributed fairly..one each to americas,europe,africa and to the proposed asia-oceania merged zone

 

[alermac2]

Maybe this FIBA Asia-Pacific is the first step into the creation of FIBA West Asia as an independent zone.

Or maybe FIBA Asia-Pacific has to be unified in order to armonically create a competitive Pacific league.

 

[Sakamoto2]

Maybe this FIBA Asia-Pacific is the first step into the creation of FIBA West Asia as an independent zone.

Or maybe FIBA Asia-Pacific has to be unified in order to armonically create a competitive Pacific league.

If im not mistaken, West Asia is the group of the middle east countries.

 

[alermac2]

If im not mistaken, West Asia is the group of the middle east countries.

Right. I think it could be FIBA's idea of dividing the whole Asia & Oceania region into 1) West Asia and 2) Pacific instead of the current division of 1) Asia and 2) Oceania.

 

[Servinio2]

Asian countries "lost" one basketball headache decades ago when FIBA decided to re-classify Israel under the European Zone in order to appease the Arabic countries.

Now, Australia and New Zealand are coming over!

 

[Maximus19842]

Australia to join FIBA Asia?

Australia to join FIBA Asia?

Fellows,

in FIFA ... we've seen that Australia has joined FIFA Asia, and now the Australians compete among other asian teams for the Asian titles ...

I've seen that this move has brought the Asian championships to a stronger level, eventhough the competition with the australians in football is almost the same as with the top 3 - 4 Asian countries.


Do you think, if such a move was also taken by FIBA Asia will give a boost to the basketball in our region?

We all know that Australian basketball is much better than the Asian ... and maybe the Aussie's will control the championships for the years to come, but will this move enhance the other top 3 - 4 Asian countries basketball skills in general?

Please discuss!!

 

[alien space bats2]

yeah sure as long as Australia wont be represented by Hoopdreamz.

 

[usausa2]

I believe there is a thread already started on this topic somewhere...
Anyway, I think SEABA should become FIBA Southeast Asia..get 2 spots to WC...1 for Olympics..Australia stays in FIBA Oceania...

 

[TheShot2]

If Aussies want to joing Asia, then what about the rest of the Oceana countries? Maybe New Zealand want too. When is the cut off point for teams to join another region. I think Asia has more than enough teams, and if teams like Lebanon, Jordan, Iran improve as they have the last few years, joining Korea and power house China, then its a more than formidable region. No reason for Aussie to join.

Fifa is a different story, you have 2 countries Japan and Korea, then maybe 1 country like North Korea constantly competing. The rest of the countries are really really bad. So thats why they need Aussies in Asia. There's really no competition in football for the Aussies in the Oceana region anyway, so why not join Asia.

 

[Dtown2]

The plan I heard the most was break up Asia into west and east with Australia and New Zealand joining the east. With both having two bids for the Olympics.

Personally I think it's over due. It's an embarrassment Australia and New Zealand qualified without having to play a game.

 

[kerdito2]

If Aussies want to joing Asia, then what about the rest of the Oceana countries? Maybe New Zealand want too. When is the cut off point for teams to join another region. I think Asia has more than enough teams, and if teams like Lebanon, Jordan, Iran improve as they have the last few years, joining Korea and power house China, then its a more than formidable region. No reason for Aussie to join.

Fifa is a different story, you have 2 countries Japan and Korea, then maybe 1 country like North Korea constantly competing. The rest of the countries are really really bad. So thats why they need Aussies in Asia. There's really no competition in football for the Aussies in the Oceana region anyway, so why not join Asia.

LOL it seems you haven't been watching much Asian Soccer lately Iraq are the Champions of Asia while Saudi Arabia are second. Besides Japan, South Korea, Iraq and Saudi Arabia, North Korea stepped in lately to the competition while other teams are also involved as Iran and Bahrain.

 

[kerdito2]

if they might join the number of tickets to World cup and Olympics should really increase since Australia and New Zealand are stronger than most of the Asian Teams and the Aussies would be the best definitely so with only 1 or 2 spots for the olympics and only 3 for the world cup it would be really unfair for teams like Lebanon, Iran, Jordan, South Korea, Kazakhstan and other rising teams.
The plan Dtown talked about might be a good one to use. Maybe we can get the best 3 teams out of each region to play a small league to choose who would qualify

 

[spider2]

The plan I heard the most was break up Asia into west and east with Australia and New Zealand joining the east. With both having two bids for the Olympics.

Personally I think it's over due. It's an embarrassment Australia and New Zealand qualified without having to play a game.

the aussies should stay away, we don't need them to take over every game, first football then basketball.. let them play cricket and rugby .

 

[leonesponce2]

FIBA Asia - Oceania

FIBA Asia - Oceania

I think that although there's no debate regarding the quality of basketball played by NZ and Australia, it is kinda unfair that they do not go through a qualifying tourney to get to a WC while teams like Lithuania, Germany, Italy, Russia, need an invitaion because the failed to qualify directly from their regional tournament...

FIBA should consider joining Oceania with Asia, that would be a huge boost to FIBA Asia's quality and would make it fair... I even think (just a crazy thought out of nowhere) that they should join Africa too... make Africa and Asia tournaments a qualifying round to a FIBA AFRICA/ASIA/Oceania... with 8 tickets to the WC!!! or if an expansion to 32 is adopted by 2018, 10 tickets...

Nah, but seriously, Oceania and Asia should be just 1 Zone...

 

[wilo222]

Asian countries "lost" one basketball headache decades ago when FIBA decided to re-classify Israel under the European Zone in order to appease the Arabic countries.

man beause it's unfair to see asian arabic countries(lebanon,syria,ksa,qatar,uae,kuwait,bahrain,iraq,yemen,palestine,jordan before peace treaty) +iran always withdrewing the game against israel even that i'm against this step by arab countries .