Australia’s national basketball team arrives in Bahrain for World Cup qualifier

TDT | Manama                                                                 

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Australia’s senior men’s national basketball team have arrived in the Kingdom ahead of their game on Thursday against Bahrain in Asian qualification for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023.

The visiting delegation were received upon touching down at Bahrain International Airport by officials from the Bahrain Basketball Association.

Australia have named a 12-player squad for their game against Bahrain, which will be followed by another against Iran on August 29 in the city of Bendigo in Victoria, Australia. Their roster features three names who were part of the team that won the gold medals in the FIBA Asia Cup last month.

They are Mitchell McCarron, who was named to the tournament’s All-Star Five, Rhys Anthony Vague and Samson James Froling. The rest of the squad consists of Luke Travers, who was the 56th pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers in this year’s NBA Draft, Nick Kay, Dejan Masiljevic, Angus Brandt, Mitch Norton, Alex Mudronja, Todd Blanchfield, Alex Toohey and Rory Hawke.

The Bahrainis will face off with their heavily favoured Aussie counterparts at the Khalifa Sports City Arena in Isa Town. The Group F fixture is scheduled for a 7pm tip-off.

The other teams in Bahrain’s division are Kazakhstan, China, Iran and Japan. Following their game on Thursday night, the Bahrainis travel to Astana in Kazakhstan to take on China on August 29.