FIBA Asia + FIBA Oceania = FIBA Asia-Pacific?

[sinobball]

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,24517485-5001023,00.html

Very interesting development. Australia is already in AFC in football, so why not basketball too? Helps both sides I think.

[dinesh]

i agree with you. Australia should be in the FIBA ASIA like in AFC.

But the zones of the FIBA ASIA should be reshuffled...

Souh Asia ZONE should be created by taking out the south asian countries from the MID ASIA ZONE

[joesmoove059]

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegrap...001023,00.html
Very interesting development. Australia is already in AFC in football, so why not basketball too? Helps both sides I think.

interesting issue we have here, maybe you like having the Aussies join the FIBA asia because China is very dominant here in Asia, maybe you just like to have a little challenge on your part. but for us, I don't think it's a good idea, because our chances of getting into the WC will just get dimmer. but if ever this will happen, team Philippines will not back down.
MABUHAY PILIPINAS! wala lng.. hehe

[nardy]

Could be a more difficult task for the SBP Long-term Program

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.

[donmar]

Yao Ming's Aussie showdown
By Tim Morrissey
October 19, 2008 12:00am

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 support a merger between FIBA Asia and FIBA Oceania... but since we can't really do about it.. unless any of you guys got the balls to go to FIBA HQ... the best way is to look at the bright side... RP Team will have more exposure to international basketball... Australian NBL will be open to Asian players.... and for me, since I live in New Zealand, I get to see the RP Team when they play the NZ Tall Blacks

[ricodgame]

Uhmm.. if this one will be finalized, i hope 3 to 4 teams will be invited to join the OLympics. and at least 6 teams in the World Championship.. Asia + Ocenia i think is more than the total land mass of the rest of the world.

[stuart]

Has a team other than the Aussie or Kiwis been represented in a FIBA international tournamet (World Championships, OG)?

Stuart

[Dtown]

Has a team other than the Aussie or Kiwis been represented in a FIBA international tournamet (World Championships, OG)?

Stuart

I could have sworn they were the only teams in Oceania.

[sinobball]

Actually since Aussie women are doing so well, Fiji was invited to the Olympics Women's Qualifier this year. Obviously they didn't qualify.

because our chances of getting into the WC will just get dimmer.

I don't think so, because more slots will be in the total region as well. In 2006 WBC there were 24 teams, 4 from Asia and 2 from Oceania. I don't see how anything will change, unless NZL regresses so much that they can't finish in top 7 of Asia-Pacific, or Fiji/New Macedonia miraculously finished in top 6.

As far as Olympics, I think 2 slots will be in the region, while 3rd-Xth may go to the qualifier tournament to play the European teams. Again I don't see how anything will change. (There were 2 Asian teams in the Olympics this year ONLY because China was hosting).

[Saskibaloia]

Has a team other than the Aussie or Kiwis been represented in a FIBA international tournamet (World Championships, OG)?

Stuart

There has been a push by the Basketball Federation of New Caledonia to be invovled however, since the Federation were not able to get all or at least some of their French based basketball players to make the long journey back home the Federation decided to stop pursuing the chance to play in the FIBA-Oceania Championships.

[nardy]

Has a team other than the Aussie or Kiwis been represented in a FIBA international tournamet (World Championships, OG)?

Stuart

I do not think among American Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji, Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, New Caledonia, Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tahiti, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu have a strong enough team to seriously challenge either Australia or New Zealand.

But I also heard aside from New Caledonia, Tahiti and Guam also tried to beef-up their national teams but it seems nothing prospered.

[C2Hamm]

I do not think among American Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji, Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, New Caledonia, Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tahiti, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu have a strong enough team to seriously challenge either Australia or New Zealand.

But I also heard aside from New Caledonia, Tahiti and Guam also tried to beef-up their national teams but it seems nothing prospered.

what about christmas island?

[thadzonline]

I do not think among American Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji, Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, New Caledonia, Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tahiti, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu have a strong enough team to seriously challenge either Australia or New Zealand.

But I also heard aside from New Caledonia, Tahiti and Guam also tried to beef-up their national teams but it seems nothing prospered.

That Guam national team was beaten by an all-filipino squad made up of guys who cant even crack a PBL roster or can hardly crack a CeSAFI roster

[ankle breaker]

if australia and new zealand will be competing in the rest of asia. that will doom the philippines for they are not going to battle it out with asian powerhouses but they still have to slug it out with the teams from oceania as well.

[Ishmael]

no worries this adds three to 5 teams for this sub category of fiba, interesting though this may spell another additive in the asian games.

that would be awesome, but truth be told, australia and newzeland are stronger in basketball than they are at football.