Bahrain set for tough Asiad test

TDT | Manama       

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain has been drawn in a tough group for the men’s basketball tournament at the Hangzhou Asian Games in China starting next month. This was announced yesterday by the Bahrain Basketball Association (BBA).

The Bahrainis are set to compete in Group C of the preliminary round along with the Philippines, Jordan, and Thailand. The nationals are one of 16 teams competing in men’s basketball. Group A features Iran, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Group B consists of defending Asian Games champions China, Lebanon, Chinese Taipei and Mongolia. Group D comprises Japan, South Korea, Indonesia and Qatar. The Bahrainis are scheduled to begin their campaign against the Philippines on 26 September at 8.30am, Bahrain time.

They then face off with Jordan on 28 September at 6am, Bahrain time; and then complete group play against Thailand on 30 September at 12.30pm, Bahrain time. After a single round-robin, the top teams in each group will qualify directly for the quarter-finals on 4 October.

The second and third-ranked sides will play each other in a play-off round on 2 October for the right to determine the four other quarter-finalists. Second in Group A will play third in Group B, second in Group B will play third in Group A, second in Group C will play third in Group D, and second in Group D will play third in Group C.

The semi-finals and fifth-to-eighth ranking games are then scheduled for 5 October; and then the gold and bronze medal games, plus the final classification contests, will be held on 7 October.

Bahrain did not participate in men’s basketball in the previous three editions of the Asian Games. Their last appearance on the hardwood was at the 2006 Asiad in Doha, where they were ranked 12th overall on the final classification amongst 20 participating nations.

China are the Asian Games’ reigning men’s basketball champions, having defeated Iran in the final at the 2018 Asiad in Jakarta. South Korea were the bronze-medallists. Thirteen teams were in the fray that year.

The Bahrain team that will be competing at the Hangzhou Asiad has yet to be confirmed by the BBA. The senior men’s national team are coming off an historic five-game sweep of the Asian pre-qualifiers for the Paris Olympic Games 2024, held in Damascus, Syria. The nationals booked their berth for the first time ever in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments.

That Bahrain team, coached by Spaniard Ricard Casas, featured Ali Aqeel, Ali Jaber, Ali Hussain, Ali Shukrallah, Alwethaq Ali, Hassan Al Tashani, Maitham Jameel, Mohammed Buallay, Mustafa Hussain, Muzamil Ameer, Sayed Mohammed Hameed and Wayne Chism.