FIBA Asia - Shameful

[sinobball]

Featuring no less than 7 ex-NBAers, this year's Asian Championship may be the best in history yet, but the opening game was a total disgrace to Asian basketball. Don't get me wrong, kudos to both teams -- Sri Lanka played as hard as they could and Philippines did what they should, which is play ball -- the point is teams like Sri Lanka should have never been invited to the pool. It's not like Asia does not have enough teams willing to travel to make up a number 16. I'm sure Macau, if invited could easily have made it to Tianjin and done much better.

The question is how did Sri Lanka even make it into the event?

As you know, FIBA Asia has 44 members and divided into 5 zones: East Asia, Southeast Asia, Gulf, West Asia and Middle Asia. True, Middle Asia has the largest number of members: 13. But other than Kazakhstan (and its Russian players) and once in a blue moon India, no other team have ever made it into the final 8 in any Asian event. In the past tournament, India got trashed by Hong Kong, but 2 years later HK did not even qualify while teams like Sri Lanka got in.

So what happened?

In 2004, FIBA Asia started a tournament called "FIBA Asia Stankovic Cup" (which is not to be confused with "FIBA World Stankovic Cup" held annually in China) designed to be a biannual tournament for Asian countries. It was then decided that the top 3 teams will directly qualify to next year's FIBA Asia tournament. In that year's tournament in Taipei, 8 teams participated and Qatar, Korea and the host finished atop. The second edition was scheduled in Damarscus in 2006 just in time when Israel bombed the hell out of Lebanon, and the event was canceled. FIBA-Asia could not even find a replacement site and most people forgot about the tournament altogether.

Then in 2008 the tournament restarted in Kuwait right after the Beijing Olympics. Only 5 teams participated -- but the results didn't matter. FIBA Asia announced all of them qualified for the Asian Championship in 2009. Which means that since both Kazakhstan and India directly qualified for participating (and finishing last in India's case), the representatives for Middle Asia zone in Asian Championship will have to be 2 other teams -- Uzbekistan and you guessed it, Sri Lanka. As a result, East Asia, a much stronger region in basketball, lost 2 spots because nobody participated (Taipei only got the chance to play this year because Bahrain withdrew). Which really makes me wonder, does FIBA Asia really care about quality of basketball in Asia? If you want to reward those that played in your poorly organized tournaments, fine, but did Sri Lanka even play in "Asian Stankovic Cup"? Or does losing by 84 points help with Sri Lanka's basketball development?

[jxuusa]

Just imagine what the score will be when they face Korean or Japan, who are both stronger than the Philippines, and those two teams aren't even considered real contenders in this year's Asian Championships (well Korea maybe just a little chance). But you're right in that this tournament should really be about the best 16 teams in Asia, not just the best in certain regions because then teams in really strong regions get left out.

But when it comes to regions/divisions, it's always going to be like this and certain regions with all strong teams will have some left out whilst others with weak teams get in. And you know how Asians are so reluctant to change... Would have been nice to have Hong Kong in this tournament, they have some talent and could have made it to top 8 with a good fight. Similar for Macau

[TheShot]

I always wonder why Mongolia doesn't have a team. Menk Bateer was from inner, and there's plenty of tall Mongolians in that country. North Korea too, even though they won't have many tall players, they are real feisty and competitive in many other sports.

[kaiziken_pinas]

well said. kudos. Teams Like Sri Lanka should not even be in the Tournament, they'd get massacred.
Would have been a thriller if Syria(if they replaced Sri Lanka..... it would have been a different story today), Hong Kong or any other team replaced them.

But anyway, kudos to Sri Lanka,especially that player named Duke(he played his heart out) and of course to Team Pilipinas, let this be a confidence booster.

[sinobball]

The problem is not about zones. It's that if you increase a zone's number of participants, they need to play in a play-in game or qualification tournament or something. In 2002, when NZL made it to the top 4 of World Championship, Oceania gets one extra slot in the 2004 Olympics, which means AUS and NZL both made it. Suppose that AUS and NZL both did well in 2004, does it mean that American Samoa or Solomon Island will get to play in the next world championship? It simply makes no sense. And FIBA Asia is in particularly disgraceful because they awarded Middle Asia Zone not because of any accomplishment but rather just to "promote" their tournament that would otherwise attract no interest.

[stuart]

Sino, great information, I wasn't even aware that they didn't even replace the Stankovic cup that year... which was your point.

I think these type of oversights are common with developing, unorganized, low-funded countries that do not place basketball as a priority, but you are right, Fiba-Asia should and can do much better.

Stuart

[jxuusa]

In the end, Basketball and FIBA is still a business.
Are North Koreans even allowed to compete out of their own country. I do remember they combined with the South for I think the Athens Olympics? and they have competed against other countries in events like Table Tennis, Soccer (pretty good and very disciplined players), and Swimming. But really don't know if they have the resources for developing a good basketball program. They did have some really tall, but weak guys a couple years ago but haven't heard any news of Basketball in NK in quite a while.
Too busy plotting takeover of world probably

[bolabasket]

My guess is that in Middle Asia, there are only 3 countries who play basketball - Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, India and Sri Lanka, the others like Bangladesh, Pakistan, Bhutan and Nepal play cricket....I think this region should merge with Gulf (Kuwait, Qatar, saudi, UAE)

Hey, i think Middle Asia has 4 representatives in the current FIBA Asia.

East Asia: China, Korea, Japan, Chinese Taipei (4)
SE Asia: Philippines, Indonesia (2)
Middle Asia: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, India, Sri Lanka (4)
West Asia: Iran, Lebanon, Jordan (3)
Gulf: Qatar, Kuwait, UAE (3)

[jesronne]

we coudnt do anything about this... this is their way... the fiba way... dato's way... syria withdrew from the tournament while taiwan was included because of dato yeoh...

[Mojado]

Afghanistan, Kirgisia and Pakistan are also in that Middle Asian group. Like I stated before, I dont know why Afghanistan did not request a qualifzing tournament as they might be stronger than Sri Lanka...

[b3lowzro]

why wont Fiba Asia a division B type of tourney, for these weak teams to participate in.

[daniab]

The Middle asian zone got 3 tickets : Kazakhstan,India and Sri Lanka which is not logical.
The Waba zone must get 4 tickets and Syria must be included,they are way better than many teams in the championship including Sri Lanka,India,Indonesia,UAE,Kuwait,Usbekistan and can compete with Philippines,Taiwan,Japan,Kazakhstan and Qatar.

Next thing,in 2007 Fiba Asian Champ,the first two ranked teams were Iran and Lebanon and Waba zone deserved to get 4 tickets to Tianjian not 3.

[talion.]

i think fiba only did what was needed to be done. if we will allow hong kong and macau to play, then fiba asia is practically a Chinese party since Taiwan is also playing. Asia is a big region. China is not the whole of Asia, or even half of it. We have to give chance to the other asian countries so that their basketball programs will also develop. If chinese keep on acting like brats, don't expect the rest of asia to like you. basketball or any sport for that matter is supposed to bring our gaps closer, not to divide us further.

[icebreaker]

I just don't get it. Why are there 3 or 4 representatives in some regions while in the Southeast Asia there are only 2?

[raichu08]

Fiba asia should be shameful of giving the hosting rights to china 80% of the time