|
Chinese coach Jonas Kazlauskas
(oroginally from Lithuania) with
the trophy (Photo: Qatar
Olympics)
China won again Asian Championship gold defeating in the final Lebanon
(Photo: Qatar Olympics) |
Qatar won bronze and qualified
to World Championships
2006
(Photo: Qatar Olympics) |
|
|
Yao |
Vogel |
El Khatib |
Musa |
Zhu |
MVP:
Yao Ming (226-C-80) of China
Best Guard:
Daoud Musa (193-G-82) of Qatar
Best Forward:
Fadi El Khatib (197-F-79) of Lebanon
Best Center:
Yao Ming (226-C-80) of China
1st Team
Yao Ming (226-C-80) of China
Joe Vogel (211-C-73) of Lebanon
Zhu Fangyu (200-F-83) of China
Fadi El Khatib (197-F-79) of Lebanon
Daoud Musa (193-G-82) of Qatar
2nd Team
Du Feng (203-C/F-81) of China
Yaseen Ismail (204-F-80) of Qatar
Choo Seung Gyun (190-F-74) of Korea
Ryota Sakurai (194-F-82) of Japan
Pouya Tajik (202-F/C-80) of Iran
Honorable Mention
Liu Wei (190-G-80) of China
Paul Khoury (207-C-68) of Lebanon
Moon Kyung Eun (190-F-74) of Korea
Sam Daghlas (197-G-79) of Jordan
Naser Bassam (198-G/F-76) of Jordan
Fayez Al Hajj (190-F/G-74) of Saudi Arabia
Vyacheslav Rosnovski (198-G-75) of Kazakhstan
 China
the champions of the Asian championship in its 23rd copy
China topped the 23rd Asian
Basketball Championship here yesterday, beating Lebanon 77-61 in the
final match. Though China’s triumph was a foregone conclusion, what
really surprised the basketball fans here was the rise of Lebanon.
Despite losing the final, Lebanon's stellar performance earned them a
spot in the 2006 World Championships in Japan. The third spot for the
World Championship was won by hosts Qatar who defeated South Korea in a
place to decide the third and fourth places. China was once again served
well by their NBA superstar Yao Ming scored 24 points to remain as the
team’s top scorer. Li Nan chipped in with 18 points while Zhu Fanguy
scored 13 points. For Lebanon, once again their US-based stars came up
with superb displays. Fadi El Khatib top scored for Lebanon with 24
points while Joe Vogel was the next highest scorer with 18. After
yesterday’s final match, Lebanon leapfrogged in the rankings to become
one of the top 24 teams in the world. Lebanon had qualified to compete
for the first time at the World Basketball Championships in 2002 when
the tournament was held in Indianapolis on the United States. Their
appearance in the 2006 edition in Japan would be their second in the
world stage. The current top three ranked contenders for the World
Basketball Championships are the United States of America, Yugoslavia
and Argentina. Qatar National Olympic Committee vice-president Sehikh
Jassem bin Thamer was the chief guest at the valedictory function. Qatar
basketball Federation and Asian Basketball Confederation President
Sheikh Saud bin Ali Al Thani was also present on the occasion. China’s
head coach Jana Kazlauskas said he was happy that his team retained the
title. “Obviously I am a happy man. Our superiority was never
questioned and we reigned supreme throughout the tournament,†he said.
He also praised the Lebanon team saying “The Lebanese too played well
and undoubtedly they are the second best team in this
championship. They defeated Qatar to reach the final and their only
defeat is at our hands,†he said. Hosts Qatar made history by
qualifying for the 2006 World Basketball Championship in Japan. They
defeated 89-77 to finish third in the 23rd FIBA Asian Basketball
Championship 2005 at the Gharaffa Sports Club here yesterday. The Asian
crown was won yet again by China, who beat Lebanon in the final. The
Asian Championship doubled up as a qualifying round for the 2006 World
Championship, with top three teams guaranteed of a berth in the World
Championship. This China, Lebanon and Qatar will represent Asia in the
World Championship. Two-time Asian title winners South Korean failed to
qualify for the World Championship for the first time since 1963. Qatar
made a tentative start in the match against Koreans yesterday and were
left trailing in the first-quarter by 12 points finishing 15-27. Bang
Sung Yoon scored 9 points in the first 10 minutes of the game to give
Korea a head start. But Qatar fought back in style, particularly in the
second-quarter, when the hosts scored a quick-fire 12 points to catch up
with Korea at 27-all. Yet they were in arrears as they trailed 41-49 at
half-time. The hosts came back into the game strongly in the
second-half with their ace Yaseen Ismail Musa scoring 8 points in the
third-quarter, while K S Abdi scored valuable two three-pointers to take
Qatar close to the Korean tally at 62-65. Last ten minutes of the
game was dominated by the hosts as they controlled the game with some
water-tight defensive tactics, restricting Korea to just 11 points while
Qatar scored 27 valuable points to shut the door on the Koreans, winning
89-77.
“The players were disappointed when we lost
to Lebanon in the semi-finals, but today was a new game altogether. We
had to win to qualify and it was always tough to come back from a
defeat. But my players showed great heart to get this results and I am
happy,†said Qatar’s head coach Joseph Steibing.
"49 points in the first-half was a lot of
points. We had to stop them from scoring later. We managed to get our
defense strategies right. But at the same time our best shooters struck.
My players responded in the most positive way to my calls" he added.
Korea’s head coach Chun Chang Jin was a
disappointed man. "We failed to win berth in the World Championship in
Japan next year, this is really disappointing for all of us,†he said. HE Sheikh Saoud Bin Ali Al-Thani President
of the Higher Organizing Committee of the championship and also the
President of the Qatar and Asian basketball Federation honoured the
winners with trophies and medals.
South Korea Should Be Selected as Wild Card - Sep. 17, 2005
South Korea, which finished
fourth in the Asian Championship, should be invited to the 2006 FIBA
World Championship as one of the four "wild card" teams FIBA will select
in a November 26-27 meeting in Rome, Italy. So should the Dominican
Republic, Algeria and the seventh place finisher in the European
Championship. Oceania does not need another slot as both Australia
and New Zealand, the only basketball powers in that region, are already
in the tournament. I believe that the reason that FIBA set up its
original criteria, listed below, was to ensure that the USA made the
tournament even though it would not be using NBA players in the Americas
regional. Also it was feared that many European NBA stars would
not show up for the current European regional. So the criteria were
based on marketing considerations rather than current basketball
proficiency. But despite using a team composed of NBA Development
League type players, the USA finished fourth in its region and
qualified.
Despite earlier reports, almost all the European NBA stars are on
their nation's roster for the European tournament, including Tony Parker
of France and Dirk Nowitzki of Germany. So there is no longer any
reason to use marketing criteria to select the teams to participate in
the World Championship. Using marketing criteria is now highly
unfair. The only solution is to select the four teams that just
missed out being invited to the tournament based on entirely competitive
reasons. But the real problem is that we are using a two-year cycle to
determine world champions rather than a four-year cycle, as soccer
uses. The solution is to go to a four-year cycle with either the FIBA
World Championship or the Olympics selected as the tournament to choose
a world champion. The other should become primarily a youth
championship, as in soccer. I will discuss this further in the
next day or two.
FIBA's Unfair Rules for Selection:
In order to be invited the team must have participated in the FIBA Zone
Qualifying Championship
There can be a maximum of three teams from any one FIBA Zone
Together with the above two criteria, FIBA shall take into consideration
the following aspects:
Sporting Aspects
- Popularity of basketball in the country
- Quality and sporting results of the national team of the country
- Quality of work of National Federation
Economic Aspects
- Involvement of local television and/or competitions in domestic and
international basketball
- Importance of country to FIBA's marketing and television partners
- Importance of country to the Organizers of the World Championship
Lebanon
& China offcially in Japan 2006 and meet today in the final - Sep. 16,
2005
Defending Champions of the
previous edition of the Asian Basketball Championship China defeated
South Korea 93-49 in the second semi-finals of the 23rd FIBA Asia
Basketball Championship here yesterday. China was led by the NBA star
Yao Ming who had an easy going with the baskets. Yao Ming was the top
scorer for China with 27 points, while other top scorers were Du Feng
who scored 14 and Zhu Fangyu added 12 to the total of 93 points. K J
Sung waged a lone battle for South Korea, scoring 12 points. China will
play Lebanon today at 8:45pm in the Gharaffa Sports Complex. Hosts Qatar
disappoint the local supporters when they lost to reigning Lebanon 79-83
in the semi-finals match of the 23rd FIBA Asia Basketball Championship
2005 for Men at the Gharaffa Sports Complex here on Thursday. Hosts
hopes to qualify for the World basketball Championship 2006 in Japan is
still alive as they will play South Korea today (Friday) for the 3rd and
4th place. Top three teams from the ongoing competition will qualify for
the big event next year. Qatar had defeated South Korea 83-65 in their
second match of the second round. Qatar failed to continue with the
winning-streak while they lost they let go their first and the most
crucial match in the hands of Lebanon who will play against China today
for Asian title. Qatar initiated with some their usual form and scored
22 points against Lebanon's 18 in the first-quarter. But the visitors
geared up in the later 10 minutes of the first half and strengthen their
defense to not let Qatar take many basket shots. Lebanon's R B Fahed
scored the maximum 15 points, while J W Vogel joint the party with 12
vital points to take four points lead at the end of the first half
39-35. K S Abdi won the lone battle for Qatar scoring the maximum 11
points for his side. Hosts changed their tactics and grab some vital
three-pointers to claim the third quarter 62-57. Both teams with evenly
talented players were not letting any chance go begging but both had
much of the concentration on their defenses which gave an easy chance
for Lebanon's best shooters to grab as many three-pointers possible in
the last 10 minutes. They finally broke Qatar's confidence once they
went pass their score and then never let them come back. At the end the
best team of the day Lebanon won with a marginal but crucial four points
83-79.
Qatar,
China, South Korea and Lebanon in Asian championship semi-final - Sep.
15, 2005
Hosts Qatar, defending
champions China, South Korea and Lebanon qualified for the semi-final
rounds of the 23rd Asian Basketball Championship, winning their last
quarter-final league matches here yesterday. Qatar topped Group I while
China topped Group II with Korea finishing second in Group I and Lebanon
taking the second spot in Group II.
In today’s semi-finals Qatar will play against Lebanon at 6.30pm at
the Al Gharafa Sports Club while China will cross swords with
arch-rivals South Korea in the second semi-final, starting at 8.45 at
the same venue. The minor placings matches will start at 9.30 and will
be played simultaneously at the Al Rayyan Club and the Al Gharafa Club.
Hosts Qatar defeated Jordan 81-55 at the Gharaffa Sports Complex here
on Wednesday and confirmed their berth for the semi-finals against
Lebanon in the 23rd FIBA Asia Basketball Championship for Men. Qatar
with their third successive win in the round of eight, and sixth
straight win in the competition, will lock horns in the semi-finals
against the crowd favourite Lebanon who beat Japan 77-59 yesterday.
Qatar proved beyond doubt that they do have the resources and caliber to
outscore their Asian rivals and came sturdy to claim the first-quarter
14-8. Qatar never looked worried as they took possessions at every
opportunity obtained. Qatar's ace Yaseen Ismail Musa, who rested after
the first-quarter, could score only 4 points.
"We had plans to play him for just six minutes of the first-quarter,
but he played for the full ten minutes of the quarter with all his
potential, our aim was to give him rest for the semi-final match ahead,"
said Qatar National Coach Joseph Steibing.
Qatari Khalid Sliman Abdi scored the maximum 9 points for his side in
the first-half, while Mohammad Saleem Abdulla and Daoud Mosa Daoud
accounted valuable 9 and 7 points each.
Qatar continued their fine form in the second half with Malek Salem
Abdulla scoring the maximum 13 points in the last 10 minutes to make it
count an easy win for their side.
At the final whistle, Qatar's Daoud Mosa Daoud demonstrated a fluent
game scoring the maximum 16 points, while Malek Salem Abdulla scored 13
points and Khalid Sliman Abdi scored 12 to the total of 81 against
Jordan's 55. Issamorcos Beida, Musa Alawadi, and Mohammad Hadrab were
the main scorers with 10 points each for Jordan.
Jordan had come here with a mission to help their young inexperienced
players to gain some International exposure were pleased with the way
their team played says Jordan's head coach Fredrick Oniga.
"Qatar was a tough team the way they have played so far in the
competition is praiseworthy, we are here to enhance the performance of
younger inexperienced side, we are focusing on the competitions ahead,"
said Coach Fredrick.
Japan who already qualifies for the 2006 World Championship was
defeated by Lebanon who qualifies for the semi-final match today against
hosts Qatar.
"We would have been better off playing Japan in the semi-final match
as they are already qualified for the World Championship and this would
have ease our task to qualify for the same, " said Qatar Coach Steibing.
"We need to continue the way we playing, we do have an enormous
chance to take the championship and also to qualify for the World
Championship in 2006," he added.
Qatari players seemed to be responding well with what they have been
instructed by their coach.
"I am not satisfied with my performance, I am just doing what I have
been asked to do by our coach, he knows the best he can get out of me
and we've been successful so far," says one of the Qatari players.
Day
6 games details - Sep. 14, 2005
Qatar 83 South Korea 65
Qatar continued to show the majestic basketball game in the second round
when they beat Korea 83-65 in the 23rd FIBA Asia Basketball Championship
at the Gharaffa Sports Complex here yesterday. Hosts stays unbeaten in
their five matches played in the competition so far, this was their
second match win in the second round, Qatar defeated Iran 79-58 on
Monday in their first game. Qatar with victory over Korea qualifies
virtually for the semi-finals. Hosts had a tentative start as both sides
were equal and right on the tasks, Koreans got along well with a game
plan and struck some accountable three-pointers, in the first-quarter.
In return, Qatar's tactful plans proved too handy and they pierced
through the Koreans defence striking the maximum baskets, scored 23
points in the first-quarter against Korea's 19. Qatar strengthen their
lead in the second-quarter with a difference of 10 points, flourishing
rapidly to 41-31, ace Qatari basketball star Yaseen Ismail Musa scored
13 points with a three-pointer, three 2-pointers and four free-throws,
he was well supported by Daoud Mosa Daoud with 11 points. The Qatari
players showed amazing understanding and their game plan was to foil the
Korean counter attacks. The Qataris succeeded in this as they fell back
soon after losing possession and Korea found the going tough against a
leak-proof Qatari defence. Qatar were right on the defensive mode in the
third quarter blocking every Korean shot and at the same time striking
the basket to every opportunity they gathered. Qatar played an attacking
game in the later half, but at the same time they employed tight zonal
defence, giving very little elbow room for the forwards to barge in and
score. At the end of the third-quarter Qatar were at the driving seat
with 66-46. Qatar came up with a pleasing display of attacking
basketball as they led 83-65 at the final whistle. Qatar's hero for the
day Daoud Mosa Daoud scoring 23 points while Yaseen Ismail Musa
accounted for 22 valuable points. For Korea Moon Kyung Eun waged a lone
battle, scoring 15 points. Qatar National coach Joseph Stiebing was
convinced with the way his side played he said.
"We had a game plan and it did work, we wanted to stop Moon Kyung Eun
from striking, he did score some but we managed to block most of his
shots as planned," said Coach Steibing.
"Our aim is to make history, we are well prepared to win the title
and create a history here, we will carry out and we certainly do have a
chance ahead," added Steibing.
Koreans have a crucial match ahead against Iran to qualify for the
top four says Korean National head coach Chun Chang Jin.
"Qatar was a powerful team, their players are very well built and
they played exceptionally well, we have to look forward for our next
match and its crucial for us if we need to qualify," said Chun Chang Jin
China 87 Lebanon 73
Hot favourites China quelled a spirited challenge from
Lebanon, winning 87-73, in their second Group II match in the
quarter-final phase of the 23rd Asian Basketball Championship at the Al
Gharafa Sports Club here yesterday. With their second successive win in
the round of eight, and fifth straight win in the tournament, China have
virtually assured themselves of a semi-final berth. With China’s NBA
superstar Yao Ming, heavily guarded by the tall Lebanese guards, one of
them having experience of playing in the United States, China found
themselves up a against a gritty opponent for the first time in the
championship. But the Chinese proved beyond doubt that they do have the
resources and calibre to outscore their Asian rivals as Du Peng (17
points) and Zhu Fangyu (17 points), along with Liu Wei 916 points) took
over the responsibility for scoring. Yao Ming, who rested a few times,
could score only 11 points. For Lebanon, who enjoyed the support of the
crowd, Joe Vogel (24 points) was the top scorer.
Iran 79 Jordan 64
Iran, who lost their first match in the second round to Qatar, bounced
back into contention for a semi-final berth when they defeated Jordan
79-64 in the 23rd Asian Basketball Championship at the Al Gharafa Sports
Club here yesterday. Iran didn’t show any nerves of their loss to Qatar
as they started theproceedings on an aggressive note. With M S Nikkah
(19 points) and I Zandi (17 points) vying each otrher to score, the
Iranians managed to stay ahead of Jordan always and they led 36-25 at
half-time.Jordan’s main scorers were N Al Naser (14 points) and O
Daghlas (12). For Jordan this was the second consecutive defeat in the
quarter-finals and they are virtually out of the reckoning for a last
four place. They now will have to play for the 5-8 placings. Iran play
Korea in their last quarter-final league match today. Only a victory
against Korea could help Iran’s cause.
Japan 89 Saudi Arabia 44
Japan, who bowed to defending champions China in their first
quarter-final league victory, clawed their way back into the reckoning
for a semi-final berth, when they trounced Saudi Arabia 89-44 in the
23rd Asian Basketball Championship at the Al Gharafa Sports Club here
yesterday. The supremely athletic Japanese, who showed feline quick
reflexes, mesmerized the Saudis with their dodging and passing. They
were also a class above their rivals in shooting – be it three-pointers
or from inside the ‘D’. Japan led 38-21 at half-time. But in the second
half they were virtually unstoppable. R Sakuri (20 points) and S Ito (15
points) were the main scorers for Japan while for Saudi Arabia, K
Falatah scored 11 points.
Day
5 games details - Sep. 12, 2005
- by
Mohammed Malas
Qatar 79 Iran 58
Hosts Qatar continued their winning run in the 23rd Asian basketball
championship when they got the better of Iran 79-58 at the Al Gharafa
Sports Club yesterday.
It was Qatar’s fourth straight win and the first one in the
quarter-final phase. With the vociferous support of the home
crowd, the Qatari players launhed themselves into the attack from the
start. They gelled well into a fighting unit. With D M Daoud coming up
with some superb baskets Qatar managed to enjoy the lead almost always
and they led 37-30 at half-time. Daoud was the top scorer for Qatar with
17 points while Mohammed Abdulla scored 15 points and E A Saeed
accounted for 14 valuable points. For Iran, P Tadjik waged a lone
battle, scoring 14 points. The Qatari players showed remarkable
understanding and their game plan was to foil the Iranian counter
attacks. The Qataris succeeded in this as they fell back soon after
losing possession and Iran found the going tough against a leak-proof
Qatari defence. South Korea and Jordan are the other two teams in Group
I for the quarter-final phase.
South Korea 64 Jordan 63
In a thrilling quarter-final league match of the 23rd Asian Men’s
Basketball Championship, South Korea edged past a fighting Jordan 64-63
here yesterday. Both teams played an attacking game from the start, but
at the same time they employed tight zonal defence, giving very little
elbow room for the forwards to barge in and score. With both teams
adopting tight defensive tactics it turned to be low-scoring match, but
it was entertaining all the way. C S Gyun spearheaded Korea’s scoring
with 19 points whileZ Alkhas (23 points) did the bulk of scoring for
Jordan. South Korea are clubbed along with Qatar, Iran and Jordan in
group I for the second round matches.
China 86 Japan 53
NBA team Houston Rockets’ centre and birthday boy Yao Ming scored 16
points and grabbed 13 rebounds to steer his national team, China, past
Japan 86-53 in the 23rd Asian Men's Basketball Championships here
yesterday. Yao, born on September 12, 1980, celebrated his 25th birthday
in great style. Qatar Basketball Federation president Sheikh saud bin
Ali Al Thani, who is also the president of the Asian Basketball
Federation, presented the birthday gift to the NBA superstar. The Qatar
Basketball Federation officials also gave presents to another Chinese
team member Mo Ke, who celebrated his birthday on September 8. Yao was
rested for brief spells in the first and third quarters, but his
presence during the other time was enough for China to record their
fourth consecutive win in the tournament and the first in the
quarter-final phase. Jonas Kaslauskas, China's head coach, said he was
satisfied with the Chinese performance for the first time in the event.
"We played great defence in the game at least for 30 minutes out of 40s.
I'm very happy with today's win," the Lithuanian coach said. "We came
into today's game with different attitude. That's thereas on we got a
beautiful win," said forward Zhu Fangyu, who had 11 points. After a 6-6
start, Yao scored six points to initiate a 10-0 run for China to lead
the game for good. The three-time champion built up a 37-15 lead in the
first half and the gap was extended to 30 points at the end of the third
quarter. "China is a better defensive team and is more experienced than
us," said Japan's head coach Zeljko Pavlicevic
Lebanon 97 Saudi Arabia 63
Lebanon scoreed an impessive 97-63 victory over Saudi Arabia in the last
eight phase of the 23rd Asian Men’s Basketball Championship yesterday.
Lebanon, grouped along with China and Japan, besides Saudi Arabia, came
up with a pleasing display of attacking basketball as they led 55-36 at
half-time. It was a poor day for Saudi Arabia. Their customary skill,
flair and fluidity seemed to have deserted them as Lebanon reeled off
points after points, sometimes effortlessly. P J Khour was Lebanon’s
hero for the day, scoring 25 points. J W Vogel scored 12 points whiule A
T Mahmoud and B A Feghali scored 10 points each. For Saudi Arabia, the
main scorers were A E Fallata (14), K Falatah (13) and F Al Haji
(12).
Day
4 games details - Sep. 12, 2005
Saudi Arabia - Kuwait 87-84
In a battle between two Arabian Gulf teams, a strong Saudi Arabia
managed to quell a spirited challenge from Kuwait, winning 87-84 en
route to the quarter-finals of the 23rd Asian Basketball Championship.
The reasonably good turn out at the Al Gharafa Sports Club witnessed a
keen tussle for supremacy as Saudi and Kuwait fought inch by inch and
move by move. With A H Al Nasser (25 points) firing on all
cylinders Saudi enjoyed a clear edge almost always, but the Kuwaitis
were not prepared to throw in the towel as they tried to come back
strongly with A Al Rabia leading their challenge with 20 points. However
the Saudi team managed to keep the Kuwaitis under check in the dying
minutes of the game and they trooped out winners by three points. While
Saudi qualified for the quarter-finals, Kuwait will have to fight it out
for minor placings. Saudi Arabia are grouped with China, Japan and
Lebanon in the quarter-final round.
China -
Uzbekistan 84-52
Reigning champions China downed Uzbekistan 84-52 for their third
straight victory in Group B at the Asian Basketball Championships here
yesterday. Despite the absence of main scorer and NBA superstar,
Yao Ming, the Chinese team dominated their rivals from the start and led
44-20 at half-time. The Asian champions extended their lead to 31 points
in the third quarter, with Wang Shipeng (top scorer with 17 points)
nailing a three-pointer at the final buzzer to seal the victory in style
for China. Having won all three games in Group B, China has now
secured a place in the final eight of the tournament. China will take on
Japan in a quarter-finals showdown today.
Jordan - India 74-47
India lost their second successive match in the 23rd Asian Basketball
Championship when they went down to Jordan at the Al Gharafa Sports Club
here. Jordan won the match 77-47. Joran’s 30-point lead at the end
reflected on their strong defensive game. They restricted the
Indians to just five points in the first quarter when they scored 13
points. In the second quarter Jordan enjoyed a 20-point lead and by the
third quarter they increased the lead to 22 points. With yesterday’s
win, Jordan qualified for the final eight round, where they are grouped
with Korea, Iran and Qatar. For Jordan Naser Bassam was the top scorer
with 19 points while for India Riyazuddin scored 15 points.
South Korea - Malaysia 87-58
South Korea stormed into the last eight of the 23rd Asian Basketball
Championship with a big 87-58 victory over Malaysia at the Al Gharafa
Sports Club here yesterday. It was Korea’s third straight win and
they topped Group A after the first round. Malaysia lost all their
matches in the first round and will figure in minor-placing matches from
today. S J Hoonw as the Korea’s top scorer and was ably assisted by C S
Gyun who also accounted for 13 points. For Malaysia, only F L H Won (12
points) and K Sathyaseelan (11) got into the double figures.
Iran - Chinese
Teapei 65-57
Iran scored their second victory in the first round of the 23rd Asian
Basketball Championship, defeating Chiense Taipei 65-57 at the Al
Gharafa Sports Club here yesterday. Iran, who lost their first match to
defending champions China, had beaten Uzbekistan earlier for their first
win. With two wins, Iran managed to join the elite group in the
quarter-final round. Iran are now clubbed with Korea, Qatar and Jordan
in the quarter-final round. Iran enjoyed a 14-point lead in the
first quarter and at half-time they had a lead of 21 points over Chinese
Taipei. The Chinese Taipei team showed some fighting spirit in the last
quarter and reduced the difference to 16 points in the third quarter and
managed to narrow the gap to eight points in the end.
Lebanon - Hong
Kong 109-53
In one of the most one-sided matches in the 23rd Asian Basketball
Championship, Lebanon routed Hong Kong 109-53 and qualified for the
round of eight at the Al Gharafa Sports Club here yesterday. Lebanon,
fielding some their American based players, proved too good for a
hapless Hong Kong team as they led 53-24 at half-time. The margin of
Lebanon’s lead was almost double and as such there never was any doubt
about the possible outcome of the match. The Lebanese coach used the
opportunity to try out his bench strength and there were as many as five
Lebanese players who got into the double figures. OmarTurk (28 points)
and Ali Fakhredinne (23 points) were the top scorers for Lebanon.
For Hong Kong L K Shing (11) points was the most successful player.
Lebanon are grouped with China, Saudi Arabia and Japan in the second
round which starts today. Lebanon play Saudi Arabia in their first
second round match today.
Lebanon get big
boost from loyal fans
Team Lebanon is stunned with an overwhelming crowd support during
their first round matches in the 23rd FIBA Asia Basketball Championship
at the Gharaffa Sports Club here. Lebanon has played exceptionally well
in their three matches in the ongoing Asian Championship. They beat
Jordan 69-59 (Thursday) in their opening match on Thursday, later they
defeated India 105-79 on Saturday and wrapped in all-win record in the
first round defeating Hong Kong 109-53 yesterday. Some of the credit for
Lebanon's majestic march in to the quarter final round goes to their
Doha supporters who have been right behind the team right from the word
go. Lebanon's coach Paul Coughter said that they never expected such
high level of crowd support in Doha. “This is unbelievable; it is almost
a full house whenever we played. They were egging on us so far. Overall
the crowd has been supporting the team playing better. This has
certainly helped boosted the morale of our players,†said Paul. "I've
been working hard on my players. The only minor worry I have is that
they are yet to show a high level of consistency. Otherwise my players
are skillful and they are working hard everyday," added Coughter. Coach
Coughter is currently in his 25th season as an International basketball
coach. He has travelled to more than 100 FIBA federations all over the
world. While being the head coach of the Hung Kno Elephants in 1996-97
in Taiwan, and he repeated the feat in the next year also. Coughter,
however, has been with the Lebanese Senior National team only for the
last one month. Before taking up his assignment in Lebanon Coughter
worked as a National Coach of 7 different countries and also coached
several professionally teams in Scotland, Belgium, Finland, Germany,
Australia, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Greece, South Africa and San
Marino. He has successfully developed several training programs
and also conducted workshops and clinics in more than 50 other
countries. He is a member of FIBA's, World Coaches Association. Coughter
and his team Lebanon have achieved their first goal in Doha – to qualify
for the quarter-finals. Lebanon are grouped with defending champion
China, Saudi Arabia, and Japan in the round of eight. Let us weight and
watch whether Coughter's magic will take Lebanon further ahead or not.
Day
3 games details - Sep. 11, 2005
Jordan - Hong Kong 108-36
Jordan embarrass Hong Kong
with a tripple score of 108-36 in their second match of Asian Basketball
Championship underway in Doha on Saturday. Jordan national team
dominated the first half completely to advance with a scary gap
depending on their playmaker Sam Daghlas and the efforts of
Moussa Al Awadi (190-G/F-85), Zeid Abbas and
Mohammad Hamdan (201-F-84). Jordan national team will meet India in
their third match on Sunday, in case they win they will pave their way
to the second round. It is worth noting that Jordan team lost their
opening match to Lebanon 59-69 on Thursday.
Jordan trounced Hong Kong 108-36 ina Group D match of the 23rd
Fiba Asian Basketball Championship at the Al Gharafa Sports Club here
yesterday. In a match which was played around noon (starting time
11.45am), Jordan proved they were miles ahead of Hong Kong as they
scored baskets after baskets. Sam Dahglas was Jordan’s top scorer with
23 points and was ably supported by Moussa Al Awadi (17 points) and
Naser Bassam(14 points). It was the first win for Jordan who lost their
opening match to Lebanon. Jordan will play India today.
Japan - Indonesia 97-57
Japan trounced Indonesia
97-57 for their second vicory in three matches in the 23rd Asian
Basketball Championship at the Al Gharafa Sports Club here on Saturday.
Japan, who lost their opening match to Qatar on Thursday, had bounced
back on Friday to beat Kazakhstan and buoyed by that sucssess, the
Japanese came up with a scintillating display against Indonesia
yesterday in their Group C match. Japan were undoubtedly a much superior
side tactically and strategically and their victory was a foregone
conclusion. T Amino spearheaded the Japanese scoring with 23 points
while T Tawamura and S Furuta had 23 points each.
Today will be rest
day for Japan.
Kuwait - Malaysia 88-56
Gulf challengers Kuwait
recovered from their first-match loss against Korea to post their first
win in the 23rd Asian basketball Championship when they defeated
Malaysia 88-56 in a Group A match at the Al Gharafa Club here yesterday.
Kuwait enjoyed a clear superiority over Malaysia throughout the match. S
Al Tabakh was the top scorer for Kuwait with 19 points and he got
excellent support from M Al Rashidi who scored 18 points. For Malaysia S
E Heng waged a lone battle, scoring 16 points. Malaysia had lost their
first match to Saudi Arabia 51-79 on Friday.
South Korea - Saudi Arabia 102-58
South Korea, one of the
teams to put up a stiff challenge to China’s domination in the 23rd
Asian Baskettball Championship, raised the level of their game by a
notch or two, compared to their previous matches, as they trounced Saudi
Arabia 102- 58 ina Group A match here yesterday. For South Korea it was
the second successive victory, after having beaten Kuwait in their first
match. For Saudia it was their first loss in Group A, after their win
over Malaysia. South Korea’s hero for the day was
Yang Hee Seung (195-F-74) who scored 18 points. However, they
had four others who touched the double figures – C S Gyun (14 points),
M K Eun (15), Y H Seung (12) and H S Jin (10). For Saudi
Arabia A Samater was the top scorer with 15 points.
Lebanon - India 105-79
Lebanon defeated India
105-79 fof their second successive victory in the 23rd Asian Basketball
Championship here yesterday. Lebanon, who had beaten Joran on the
opening day, came up with a pleasing display yesterday. The Lebanese
took a vice-like grip on the proceedings soon after the start and they
scored at will. The Lebanese were much superior to their Indian
counterparts, both physically and tactically. Vogel top scored for
Lebanon with 23 points whule Al Khatim chipped in with 21 points. For
India, T Rai waged a lone battle with 29 points while Riazuddin scored
16 points. For Indis this was their first loss. They had beaten Hong
Kong in their first match.
Qatar - Kazakhstan 86-60
Hosts Qatar clinch their third win in a row when they defeat
Kazakhstan 86-60 in a Group ‘C’ match of the 23rd FIBA Asia Basketball
Championship at the Gharaffa Indoor Hall here yesterday. Qatar team
looked in splendid form right from the tip-off and went on to score at
every possible opportunity. Qatar’s every move in the court did count.
Kazakhstan who played exceptionally well in their last game against
Japan were a little behind their potential yesterday, perhaps Qatar
defense let them down every time they tried to score the basket. In the
first half Qatar’s Daoud Mosa Daoud seemed a real threat for Kazakhstan
who scored the maximum 14 points with three 3-pointers, two 2-pointers
and a free throw, while Qatar’s basketball ace Yaseen Ismail Musa scored
12 points with five 2-pointers and two free-throws, Qatar ceased the
first half with a reasonable 30 points difference 48-18. Vdovin Sergey
scored the maximum four points for Kazakhstan in the first half. Qatar
displayed a proper team work with proper coordination amongst their
players, accurate passing and amazing tackling got them pass
Kazakhstan’s defense quite easily. Qatar continued their better job
later in the second half and scored 86-60 to win their third round game.
At the final scores, Qatar’s Daoud Musa (193-G-82) scored maximum for
his side with 19 points (three 3-pointers, four 2-pointers and two
free-throws), Yaseen Ismail who did not play in the second half was the
second highest scorer for team Qatar, this shows Yaseen’s his potential.
Kazakhstan’s Rosnovskiy Vyacheslav scored the maximum 16 points for his
side, while Shpeht Andrey and Ponomarev Anton scored 12 and 11 points
each. The Qatar team is in fine form as was evident from their three
victories – against Japan on Thursday, against Indonesia on Friday and
against Kazakhstan yesterday (Saturday).
Day
2 Games - Sep 10, 2005 - by
Eurobasket
In the second day of the 23rd FIBA Asian Basketball Championship
Iran, Korea, Japan, China, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia cataloged victories;
matches were played at the two venues of Gharaffa and Rayyan Indoor
Halls here yesterday.
Group A
Korea - Kuwait 85-80
Korea defeated Kuwait 85-80 in one of the most thrilling games
yesterday, the two teams were neck to neck right from the beginning
finishing the first half with Korea leading 41-36.
However the lead was maintained will the end with the same 5 points
difference with Korea listing 85-50 victory.
Hyun Joo Yup was the highest scorer with 20 points for the winning
Korea, while Abdullah N. Alsarraf scored the maximum for Kuwait with 22
points.
Korea and Kuwait played in their opening match yesterday and has still
two matches to qualify in their group.
Saudi Arabia - Malaysia 79-51
Saudi Arabia beat Malaysia 79-51 straightforwardly, Fayez Al Haji scored
the maximum of 21 points for Saudi Arabia, while Chai Chze Hian scored
the maximum of 15 points for Malaysia.
Saudi team initiated well with 55-36 at the first half and went on to
score in the later half to win the game with sufficient margin.
Saudi Arabia and Malaysia were playing in their first match of the
competitions and are still left to give a lot in their remaining
matches.
Group B
Iran - Uzbekistan 84-43
In the first playoff and perhaps one of the much one-sided game Iran
outclassed Uzbekistan 84-43, Iran which was defeated by China in the
opening match, appeared much pleasing yesterday to win the match quite
influentially.
P. Tadjik was the top scorer for the wining side with 18 points, while
Kuchin Sergey scored the maximum for Uzbekistan with 13 points.
Uzbekistan has lost both the matches so far and now are left with very
less chances to qualify in the competition, however they still have a
match to play against the defending champions tomorrow.
China - Taiwan 76-58
Reigning champions and hot favourites for the title, China scored their
second successive victory in the 23rd Asian Basketball Championship when
they defeated Chinese Taipei 76-58 at the Al Gharafa Sports Club here on
Friday.
Normally the rivalry between teams from bordering countries are so
strong and keen so much so that most of such sporting encounters often
turn out to be battles where no quarters are asked nor given.
However, the match between China and Chinese Taipei turned out to be a
one-sided affair for most part as the stars from mainland China
proved too good for their opponents.
The Chinese played at half pace and even rested their NBA superstar Yao
Ming half way through, yet ran out comfortable winners after leading
45-31 at half-time.
It was China’s second win. On the opening day on Thursday, they defeated
Iran 76-61.
Yao Ming scored 15 points before he was rested by head coach Jonas
Kauslauskas.
Other top scorers for China were Liu Wei (11 points) and Zhang
Jinsong (12 points).
For Chinese Taipei Wu Tai-Hao emerged the top scorer with 10 points.
For Chinese Taipei it was their first loss in two matches. They had
beaten Uzbekistan 111-71 on the opening day.
Both China and Chinese Taipei will have a rest day today (Saturday). On
Sunday, China will take on Uzbekistan while Chinese Taipei will play
Iran.
Group C
Japan - Kazakhstan 67-66
Japan did well to gain a victory with just one point ahead of Kazakhstan
67-66.
Japan were struggling to get pass their opponents defense and were left
trailing in the first half by 5 points 29-34, however they managed to
win the game with just one point difference and were certainly fortunate
enough to finish things right in time.
Ryota Sakurai scored the maximum 14 points for Japan, while Rosnovskiy
Vyacheslav scored the highest 22 points for Kazakhstan.
Japan lost to Qatar in their opening match has now some hopes to qualify
in their group, while Kazakhstan has one victory under their belt
against Indonesia in their opening match.
Qatar - Indonesia 89-62
Qatar thrashed Indonesia quite convincingly
Hosts Qatar makes it second in a row defeating Indonesia 89-62 in their
second match of the 23rd FIBA Asian Basketball Championship at the
Gharaffa Indoor Hall here yesterday.
Qatar was right on top from the beginning breaking the minnow's
Indonesian defense to score the maximum.
Qatar's star Yaseen Ismail Musa scored the maximum 11 points in the
first half, Yaseen who was in sheer pain following a nagging injury to
his knee was being on and off the court most of the time.
Qatar played handsomely in the first half with 52-34 in their belt, Ali
Turki Ali was the other top scorer with 10 points.
Qatar continued to play more positively and kept on attacking to score
at every possible opportunity. While, the final scorers were 89-62 in
which Erfan Ali Saeed was the highest scorer for his side's final tally
with 15, followed by Ali Turki Ali with 14 and Yaseen Ismail with 12
points.
Qatar National coach Joseph Stiebing shuffled his players on regular
basis giving much chance to his younger inexperienced side.
"We gave chance to our young side which would definitely mould them with
the International standards and this will help me to pick our best side
for the games ahead," said Joseph.
"It’s a tough game ahead where we are playing Kazakhstan who is
certainly looking to win here to qualify in the competition, as they
haven’t won yet. They played well in their second game against Japan and
now they look more organized," he added.
Indonesia who has led with much of the younger inexperienced players are
shaping their side to cope up with the International levels and for the
games ahead says its head coach Rastafari Horongbala.
"We are in Qatar to bring out the best from our young players and are
basically preparing them for the Asian competitions ahead, Qatar is a
tough side they played well and has a very strong defense line its hard
to break them," said Rastafari.
Day
1 Games - Sep 9, 2005
Group B
China - Iran 76-61
China begin campaign with victory over Iran
Defending champions China, led by NBA’s Houston Rockets star Yao Ming
defeated Iran 76-61 in the opening match of the 23rd Asian Basketball
Championships at the Al Gharafa Sports Club here yesterday.
Yao Ming scored 29 points, brought down 17 rebounds and had three blocks
in the match. Iran deployed two men to mark Yao Ming from the start, but
the Chinese superstar showed wonderful reflexes and dodging skill
to get his Iranian markers into foul trouble. He forced
23 free-throws which is a true reflection of the tight defence Iran put
up, mostly to bottle up Yao Ming.
The Chinese, however, had a slow start in the match as they struggled to
find the way to stop the Iranians from scoring out of the ‘D’. They even
trailed behind 11-12 early in the game.
But as the Iranians began to commit more fouls in their bid to restrict
Yao Ming time and again to the line, the Chinese team gradually gained
control and pulled away to lead 57-50 lead after the third period.
The fourth period was totally dominated by the Chinese as Yao Ming
struck a purple patch. He was virtually unstoppable. He had a superb
game, reaching both ends of the court as the situation demanded and led
China to a comfortable 76-61 victory.
China will play Chinese Taipei in their next match today.
Taiwan - Uzbekistan 111-71Group C
Kazakhstan - Indonesia 89-62
Kazakhstan overpowered Indonesia with a convincing 89-62 victory.
Kazakhstan initiated well taking a healthy lead in the first quarter
33-16, Indonesia came back strongly in the second quarter and scored
most 19 against Kazakhstan's 10 but failed to restrict Kazakhstan at
43-35.
Kazakhstan came back in the game in the third quarter and broke
Indonesian defense scoring the maximum 31 points to strengthen the lead
to 74-49.
In the final quarter both teams scored almost equal points but the best
team Kazakhstan did enough to take away the match finishing 89-62.
Qatar - Japan 74-62
Qatar defeat Japan in the opening round
Hosts Qatar defeat Japan 74-62 in the opening round of the 23rd FIBA
Asian Basketball Championship which started at the Gharaffa Indoor Hall
here yesterday.
Qatar started well in the first quarter of the game, claiming a healthy
lead while the first quarter ended 24-16.
Home team managed to maintain the lead in the first half as well with
41-29.
Visitors Japan made some aggressive moves in the later half but thanks
to the remarkable blocking from Qatar which shattered visitors every
move.
Qatar scored 20 points in the third quarter to strengthen their lead to
41 against 29.
Hosts did well to take the first game 74-62, which would help them with
an early resilience in the contests.
Qatar's basketball star Yaseen Ismail Musa played exceptionally well to
gain an early confidence for his side in the competition.
Yaseen who hadn't had much chance to practice at the court prior to the
start of the competition due to his knee injury, made outstanding moves
to score some healthy points.
Yaseen stayed away from the court for three weeks due to knee injury and
is looking to give his best in the ongoing competition.
Yaseen is likely to miss in their next match against Indonesia if he is
not fit says its coach Joseph Stiebing.
"We have to wait till the morning and if he is not fit for the match we
might give him rest, but every match is crucial for us and to keep aside
the best player is not what we expect," said Joseph.
Qatar will play Indonesia today in the same stadium at 6:30pm.
Group D
India - Hong Kong 106-87
Lebanon - Jordan 69-59
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